r-'V^^'.".:^  Vr^ 


GREINER 


SB    341 

G7 


m]t  p,  '^,  ^ill  litbraru 


SE)34l 


I.e.  STATE  UNIVERSITY     D.H.  HILL  LIBRARY 


S00317903  N 


This  book  is  due  on  the  date  indicated 
t)elow  and  is  subject  to  an  overdue 
fine  as  posted  at  the  circulation  desk. 

EXCEPTION:  Date  due  will  be 
earlier  if  this  item  is  RECALLED. 

• 

200M/09-98-981815 

iZ~  C^^^^i^^<>^^^^^/^ 


yyx/x^%^% 


y  AAAA^^^A/T 


ONIONS  FOR  PROFIT. 


BY   T.    GREINER. 


Burpee's 
Books  Free. 


Our  interest  in  our  customers  does  not  end 
with  the  sale  of  the  Seeds  ;  it  is  our  earnest 
desire  that  every  planter  may  have  a  full  meas- 
ure of  success  with  the  products  of  Burpee's 
Seeds.  Therefore,  every  dollar  sent  us  for 
goods  offered  in  Oue  Farm  Annual,  in  addition 
to  all  other  premiums,  has  a  credit  of  10  cts.  to- 
ward the  purchase  of  any  book  published  and 
offered  by  us,  if  the  purchaser  desires  it.  Thus, 
a  $2.00  order,  with  10  cts.  added,  can  select  any 
book  offered  for  30  cts.;  with  30  cts.  added,  any 
book  offered  for  50  cts.  Or,  a  $3.00  order  can 
select  entirely  free  any  book  offered  for  30  cts., 
or  a  $5.00  order  any  book  offered  for  50  cts., 
and  so  on,  we  more  than  meeting  our  customers 
half  Way  in  our  desire  to  give  them  Free  the 
best  books  for  the  Faem  and  Garden. 


W.  Atlee  Burpee  &  Co., 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Onions  for  Profit. 


AN  EXPOSE  OF  MODERN 
METHODS  IN  ONION  GROWING. 


BY   T.    GREINER, 


AUTHOR   OF  "HOW   TO   MAKE  THE   GARDEN   PAY,"  "THE  NEW   ONION 
CULTURE,"  "PRACTICAL  FARM  CHEMISTRY,"  ETC. 


PUBLISHED   BY 

W.  ATLEE   BURPEE   &  CO.,  SEEDSMEN, 
PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 

Spring,  1893. 


Copyright,  1893,  by  W.  Ati.ee  Burpee  &  Co. 


Press  of  Wm   F.  Fell  &  Co., 

1220-24  Sansom  St., 

philadelphia. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


WHY  THIS  BOOK? 
The  Author  Explains, 


THE  LEADING  QUESTION. 
Does  Onion  Growing  Pay? 12 

THE  PREPARATIONS. 
Selection  and  Antecedents  of  Soil. — Sandy  Loam. — Clay. 
— Muck. — River     Bottom. — Ideal    Onion     Soil. — Preliminary 
Treatment  of  Soil. — Rotation, 16 

THE  WORK  BEGINS. 
Manuring,  Plowi.ng,  Harrowing. — Stable  Manure. — Amount 
Required. — Its  Value. — Composting  It. — Application  and  Plow- 
ing In. — Wood-ashes. — Complete  Fertilizers. — Nitrate  of  Soda. 
— Poultry  Droppings. — Salt  and  Lime. — Other  Manurial  Sub- 
stances.— How  Applied. — Pulverizers  and  Smoothing  Harrows, 
etc., 21 

THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW. 
Two  Ways  of  Planting. — The  Regular  Old  Way. — Testing  the 
Seed  Varieties. — Soaking  Seed. — Garden  Drills. — Quantity  of 
Seed  Per  Acre. — Sowing. — Sowing  by  Hand. — The  New  Way. 
— Its  Advantages. — Varieties  Suited  for  It. — Growing  the  Plants. 
— Hot-beds. — Greenhouse's. — Hardening  the  Plants. — Trans- 
planting.— Cost  of  Setting  Plants. — The  Old  and  the  New.— 
Markers. — Dibber. — Trimming  the  Plants,      28 


6099B 


vi      •  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS. 

THE  WORK  THICKENS. 

PAGE 

A  Hard  Fight  With  Weeds. — War  to  the  Knife. — Promptness 
Required. — Hand  Wheel  Hoes. — Hand-Weeding  the  Chief  Ex- 
pense.— Weeding  Implements. — Thinning. — Hoes  and  Hoe- 
ing.— Breaking  Down  the  Tops, 53 

IRRIGATION  AND  CULTIVATION. 
Means  of  Fighting  Drought. — A  Soil  Mulch. — Mucky  Com- 
post and  Wood  Ashes. — Sub-earth   Soaking. — Surface  Irriga- 
tion.— Box  Ditch  — Irrigation    by  Tile. — Irrigation   by  Water 
Pumped  into  Tanks, 6l 

ENEMIES  OF  THE  CROP. 
Insects  and  Diseases  and  How  to  Fight  Them. — The  Onion 
Maggot. — White  Grubs. — Wire  Worms. — Onion  Rust. — Onion 
Smut, 66 

THE  HARVEST. 
Gathering  and  Taking  Care  of  the  Crop. — Pulling  in  Time. 
— Curing  Outdoors. — Keep  Dry. — Curing  on   Barn   Floor   or 
Under  Sheds. — An  Onion-Curing  Shed, 70 

THE  REWARD. 

Marketing  and  Storing.— The  Early  Market.— Ventilated 
Barrels. — Home-Made  Onion  Sorter. — Onion  Crates. — Domes- 
tic Spanish  Onions. — Wintering  Onions  for  Spring  Sales. — Stor- 
age Houses. — Pits. — Estimates  of  Cost  and  Profit, 73 

SIDE  ISSUES. 
Growing  Pickling  Onions,  Onion  Sets,  Bunching  Onions, 
etc. — The  Barletta.  Growing  the  Crop.- — Onion  Set  Harvest- 
ers.— Onion  Set  Cleaner. — Profits  in  Pickling  Onions. — Growing 
Sets. — Wintering  Sets — Growing  Bunching  Onions. — Green 
Onions  from  Barletta  Seedlings. — Egyptian  or  Winter  Onions,  .     85 

ODDS  AND  ENDS. 
Onion   Seed   Raising. — Weight  per  Bushel. — History  and  Va- 
rieties,          95 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

1.  Disk  Harrow, 2b 

2.  Meeker  Harrow, 26 

3.  Planet,  Jr.,  Seed  Drill, 31 

4.  Little  Gem  Garden  Drill, 32 

5.  Deere  Seed  Drill, 32 

6.  Mathew's  Seed  Drill, 33 

7.  Onion  Seedlings  Overcrowded  and  just  Right, 38 

8.  Cheap  Greenhouse  for  Raising  Onion  Plants 40 

9.  Cheap  Double  Span  Greenhouse  for  Onion  Plants, 40 

10.  Pit  Roofed  with  Ordinary  Hot-bed  Sashe^-, 41 

11.  One-Man  Hod  for  Carrying  Soil, 42 

12.  Box  for  Carrying  Soil  by  two  Persons, 42 

13.  Glimpse  of  Onion  Field — the  Old  Way, 45 

14.  Glimpse  of  Onion  Field — the  New  Way, 45 

15.  Simple  Hand  Marker, 46 

16.  Simple  Push  Marker, 47 

17.  Barrow  Marker, 47 

18.  Roller  Marker, 48 

19.  Dibber  Made  of  Thin  Steel, 49 

20.  Trimming  the  Plants, 49 

21.  Plants  Untrimmed  Before  Setting, 5° 

22.  Plants  Trimmed  Before  Setting, .  5° 

23.  Setting  the  Plants— the  Right  and  the  Wrong  Way,    ....  51 

24.  Planet,  Jr.,  Double  Wheel  Hoe, 54 

25.  Planet,  Jr.,  Single-Wheel  Hoe, 55 

26.  Tools  for  Weeding, 57 

27.  Lang's  Hand-weeder  in  Use, 5^ 

28.  Table  Knife  as  Weeder, 5^ 

29.  Hoes  for  Onion  Weeding, 59 

30.  Plan  of  Irrigated  Field, 63 

vii 


viii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

FAGB 

31.  Irrigation  from  Box  Ditch, 64 

32.  Sub-irrigation  by  Tile, 65 

2,2).  Onion  Maggot,  Eggs,  Larva  and  Fly,    .    .        67 

34.  Onion-Curing  Shed, 72 

35.  Ventilated  Barrel, 74 

36.  Onion-Sorting  Device, 75 

37.  Onions  Crated  for  Market, 76 

38.  Section  of  Wall  of  Onion  Storage  Room, 79 

39.  40.  Cross  Section  of  Onion  Pit, 80 

41.  The  Barletta  Onion, 86 

42.  Planet,  Jr.,  Onion  Set  Harvester, 89 

43.  Home-Made  Onion  Set  Harvester, 89 

44.  Sieve  Drum  for  Cleaning  Onion  Sets, 90 

45.  Yellow  Globe  Danvers, 98 

46.  Red  Wethersfield, 98 

47.  Large  Red  Globe, 99 

48.  Yellow  Dutch, 100 

49.  Extra  Early  Red, loo 

50.  Prizetaker, loi 

51.  New  Mammoth  Pompeii, 102 

52.  Large  White  Italian  Tripoli, 103 

53.  White  Pearl, ^ 103 

54.  White  Multiplier  Onion  Sets, 104 


Onions  for  Profit 


I. 

WHY  THIS  BOOK? 

THE    AUTHOR    EXPLAINS. 

This  is  not  meant  for  an  introduction.  I  trust  that  I 
need  none  to  the  reader.  But  he  may  feel  like  asking  me 
why  I  write  this  treatise,  when  only  a  short  while  ago  I 
wrote  and  published  "The  New  Onion  Culture." 

The  explanation  is  easy.  "The  New  Onion  Culture" 
was  intended  mostly  to  present  a  new  phase  of  the  business, 
and  to  encourage  further  researches  in  an  entirely  new 
direction.  As  a  "handbook  of  onion  growing  "  it  has 
shortcomings,  and  is  far  from  being  complete.  It  leaves 
too  much  room  for  further  personal  inquiries.  I  have 
looked  the  field  of  horticultural  literature  in  America  over 
pretty  closely,  and  am  unable  to  find  a  handbook  for  the 
onion  grower  the  teachings  of  which  are  based  on  modern 
methods,  and  embody  (as  they  should  in  order  to  justify 
any  claims  of  being  "up  to  times")  the  two  systems,  the 
old  and  the  new,  in  profitable  combination. 

Such  a  handbook  or  guide  to  successful  onion  growing 
is  needed.  I  know  it  from  the  numerous  inquiries  on  the 
subject  which  are  all  the  while  being  addressed  to  me.  I 
know  it  from  observing  the  methods  in  vogue  among  the 
great  mass  of  our    onion  producers.     Yes,  friends,  if  you 

9 


10  ONIOiVS  FOR   PROFIT. 

desire  to  make  this  onion  business  pay — I  mean,  make  it 
pay  anywhere  near  the  profits  that  it  can  be  made  to  pay — 
you  will  have  to  leave  the  old  ruts,  and  adjust  your  methods 
to  fit  modern  conditions.  If  you  are  plodding  along,  and 
just  manage  to  get  poor  pay,  or  even  a  moderate  one,  for  the 
actual  work  done  in  the  onion  field,  I  do  not  concede 
that  the  business  pays  you.  The  onion  grower  has  to 
invest  money, — in  land,  in  manures,  in  seed,  in  labor. 
He  ought  to  get  some  dividends  over  and  above  his  out- 
lay. He  ought  to  get  big  pay  for  his  experience  and  skill, 
if  he  brings  any  to  bear  on  his  enterprise,  and  something 
for  his  thought  and  study.  Of  course,  if  he  does  only 
mechanical  work,  and  has  neither  experience  nor  skill ;  if 
he  follows  the  same  methods  that  his  father  did  many  years 
ago,  and  makes  no  effort  whatever  to  improve  his  ways, — he 
is  not  entitled  to  any  reward  save  the  ordinary  price  of 
unskilled  labor,  and  is  not  likely  to  get  more. 

The  premium — and  a  big  one  at  that — is  always  on  supe- 
rior skill.  Thought  and  study  pay  a  hundred  per  cent, 
where  mechanical  labor  pays  ten.  If  you  would  be  an 
onion  grower,  by  all  means  be  a  good  one.  Study  the 
business  as  you  would  a  trade.  By  reading  all  the  good 
books  written  on  onion  growing  in  America  (there  are  not 
many  such  treatises,  and  they  cost  but  little)  you  can  make 
the  experience  of  others  your  own  at  a  much  smaller 
expense  than  if  you  gathered  it  in  the  field  yourself. 

On  the  other  hand,  I  am  going  to  lay  particular  stress 
upon  it  that  you  must  verify  this  experience  of  others  in 
your  own  field  practice.  Only  don't  attempt  to  reap  prac- 
tical experience  by  the  acre  or  acres.  This  is  the  most 
expensive  method  of  getting  experience.  Glean  it  in  a 
little  patch  at  first,  and  as  you  get  strong  in  knowledge 
and  skill  and  confidence,  enlarge  your  area  as  you  deem 
safe. 


Wny  THIS   BOOK?  11 

As  I  have  already  stated,  there  is  room  for,  and  need  of, 
a  hand-book  like  this  for  the  general  onion  grower.  But  I 
would  probabl}'  not  have  thought  of  writing  it  if  my 
friends,  the  publishers,  had  not  asked  me  to  undertake  the 
work.  Then  I  was  quite  ready  and  willing  to  do  so.  I 
really  like  to  talk  and  write  on  matters  that  I  think  I 
understand  about  as  well  as  anybody,  and  more  especially, 
if  I  see  a  chance  to  tell  some  '^  trade  secrets  "  to  my  less 
experienced  fellow  gardeners. 

The  result  of  the  publishers'  suggestion,  and  of  their  co- 
operation, is  the  book  as  it  now  lies  before  the  reader. 
May  it  fulfill  its  mission,  which  is  to  diffuse  a  better  under- 
standing of  improved  methods  of  onion  growing  among 
those  willing  and  anxious  to  learn,  and  to  aid  them  in 
securing  more  satisfactory  returns  from  the  business  than  it 
afforded  them  heretofore. 

T.  Greiner. 

La  Salle,  N".   V.,  Aulu/mt,  i8g2. 


II. 

THE    LEADING   QUESTION. 

DOES  ONION  GROWING  PAY? 

Like  along  hair  in  a  roll  of  butter,  or  a  forgotten  basting 
thread  in  a  newly-made  dress,  the  question,  *'  Does  it  pay?" 
or,  *' How  does  it  pay?"  strings  itself  along,  seemingly 
without  end,  and  just  as  annoyingly,  through  the  stacks  of 
letters  received  by  me  from  people  in  need  of  horticultural 
advice.  It  is  the  question  of  all  questions,  and  before  I  go 
further,  I  will  try  to  give  an  intelligent  answer  to  it.  I 
hope  it  will  save  me  the  necessity  of  writing  some  personal 
letters  on  the  same  question  in  future. 

"  Does  onion  growing  pay?  " 

Here  one  has  a  fine  chance  of  doing  some  plausible 
figuring  on  paper.  "A  thousand  bushels  per  acre  is  not  an 
extraordinary  crop ;  one  dollar  per  bushel  not  an  extra- 
ordinary price.     One  thousand  bushels,  at  $i  each,  make 

^lOOO. 

This,  however,  tempting  as  the  prospect  may  be,  is  deal- 
ing with  possibilities,  not  with  probabilities.  The  skilled 
grower,  under  favorable  circumstances,  can  grow  looo 
bushels  per  acre.  I  propose  to  show  that  even  twice  that 
number  of  bushels  is  within  our  reach,  and  has  actually  been 
obtained  on  limited  areas ;  but  I  would  not  guarantee  half 
that  yield  to  the  new  beginner,  especially  not  if  he  be  one 
of  those  young  fellows  that  "  know  it  all."  The  average 
yield  vacillates  between  200  and  300  bushels  per  acre. 

Thus  it  is  with  the  price.  We  often  get  ^i  a  bushel,  and 
sometimes  two  and  three  times  that  amount ;  yet,  while 
I   again  propose  to  point   out    how   you   can    manage  to 

12 


THE   LEADING    QUESTION.  13 

obtain  a  somewhat  larger  price  for  your  crop,  or  part  of 
your  crop,  than  the  average  grower  usually  receives,  I  am 
sure  it  would  be  folly  to  build  your  estimates  of  profit  on 
any  such  uncertain  basis. 

Onion-growing  must  not  be  looked  upon  as  a  specula- 
tion, nor  as  a  means  of  acquiring  sudden  wealth.  If  this 
is  what  you  have  in  mind,  failure  will  be  pretty  well 
assured. 

In  this  respect,  the  business  resembles  similar  enterprises, 
such  as  fruit-growing,  general  gardening,  poultry-keeping, 
etc.  Some  of  our  smart  young  people  often  see  ''golden 
opportunities"  in  the  hen  business.  They  figure,  quite 
plausibly,  as  follows  :  "It  costs  about  $i  to  keep  one  hen  a 
year.  She  will  lay  in  that  time  150  eggs,  which  at  the  low 
average  price  of  16  cents  a  dozen  bring  ^2,  or  a  clear  profit 
of  ^[.  Now,  keep  a  .thousand  hens,  and  you  have  a  sure 
yearly  income  of  ^1000."  Perhaps  this  figuring  is  faultless ; 
but  if  the  hen  of  the  future  is  not  built  materially  different 
from  the  hen  of  the  past,  she  will,  when  thus  kept  in  large 
numbers,  invariably  refuse  to  perform  the  task  assigned  to 
her,  but  rather  content  herself  with  an  annual  lay  of  75  or 
So  eggs. 

Does  onion  growing  pay  ? 

In  reply  let  me  ask  :  Does  it  pay  to  grow  wheat,  or  pota- 
toes, or  strawberries  ?  Does  dairying,  or  sheep  husbandry, 
or  cattle  raising  pay  ? 

Some  people  make  these  things  pay,  and  others  do  not. 
The  great  majority  of  those  who  engage  in  any  one  of 
them,  and  stick  to  it,  as  a  life-business,  make  their  living 
by  it,  but  seldom  much  more.  Those  who  go  in  and  after 
the  first  unsuccessful  attempt  drop  out  again,  are  sure  to 
lose.  The  few,  however,  who  by  accident  or  selection  of 
their  own  are  working  under  favorable-  conditions,  v/ho 
keep  abreast  of  the  times,  and  manage  with  skill  and  good 


14  ONIONS  FOR  PROFIT. 

judgment,  not  only  make  enterprises  of  this  kind  pay,  but 
make  them  pay  well. 

Is  it  your  idea  to  plant  a  big  field  in  onions,  to  try  to 
make  a  big  haul,  and  then  perhaps  turn  your  attention  to 
something  else?  If  so  I  say:  Don't.  Your  chances  of 
success  are  one  in  a  million.  But  if  you  intend  to  start 
moderately  and  with  deliberation,  having  chosen  onion 
culture  as  a  legitimate  calling,  then  I  say  :  Go  ahead.  Try 
to  select  the  most  favorable  conditions  as  to  soil  and 
market.  Learn,  and  make  use  of,  the  best  methods  of 
growing  and  marketing  the  crop,  and  stick  to  your  business 
without  allowing  yourself  to  become  discouraged  by  a  fail- 
ure which  is  possible  even  under  quite  favorable  conditions. 
The  chances  are  that  you  will  succeed  in  the  end.  Well- 
directed  efforts  are  usually  crowned  with  success. 

Study  the  following  pages  and  profit  by  the  suggestions. 
I  can  do  little  more  than  give  general  directions.  It  re- 
mains for  you  to  do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time. 

Does  onion  growing  pay  ? 

It  will  pay  in  exact  proportion  to  your  ability  to  select 
the  most  favorable  combination  of  circumstances,  to  your 
own  good  judgment,  to  the  thought  and  study  you  bring 
to  bear  upon  the  question  of  management,  to  your  perse- 
verance, and  to  some  extent,  perhaps,  to  your  luck.  Of  the 
last  item,  however,  I  seldom  take  much  account.  Good 
management  and  perseverance  will  carry  you  through,  even 
if  luck  be  against  you. 

Does  onion  growing  pay? 

I  have  to  touch  upon  one  other  aspect  of  the  question, 
and  in  this  respect  feel  inclined  to  give  a  little  special  en- 
couragement to  onion  growing.  Onions  are  just  the  crop 
for  intensive  farming.  The  big  item  in  liieir  production 
is  well-directed  labor,  not  land.  Their  culture  involves 
some  risk  of  loss  to  the  unskilled  or  shiftless  grower  ;  but  it 


THE  LEADING    QUESTION.  15 

also  affords  one  of  the  best  of  chances  to  get  comparatively 
large  returns  from  "  a  little  land  well  tilled."  With  the 
exception  of  celery,  I  could  not  name  a  single  crop  so 
promising  in  this  respect  as  the  onion  crop. 


III. 

THE   PREPARATIONS. 
SELECTION  AND  ANTECEDENTS  OF  SOIL. 

SANDY    LOAM. — CLAY. — MUCK. — RIVER    BOTTOM. — IDEAL   ONION   SOIL. 
— PRELIMINARY   TREATMENT   OF   SOIL. — ROTATION. 

While  it  is  true  that  onions  can  be  grown  on  any  soil, 
from  sand  to  clay,  and  on  muck  besides,  if  otherwise  prop- 
erly managed  and  prepared,  yet  a  judicious  selection,  which 
aims  to  secure  a  combination  of  the  most  favorable  condi- 
tions, has  as  much  influence  as  any  other  thing  upon  the 
question  of  profit  or  loss.  I  know  many  large  grain  farms 
on  which  you  would  not  find  a  single  half-acre  of  land  suit- 
able to  be  used  for  onion  growing  at  short  notice. 

A  Review  of  Soils. 

Soil  that  is  stony  or  gravelly  has  to  be  rejected,  because 
of  the  difficulty  of  economical  cultivation  by  means  of 
labor-saving  devices.  Weed  seeds  also  usually  abound 
there. 

Then  there  are  pieces  of  nice,  clean  loam,  inclining  to 
sandy.  They  would  be  just  the  thing,  had  not  a  half  cen- 
tury's persistent  cropping  without  an  adequate  return  of  the 
plant-foods  taken  off  year  after  year  almost  ruined  the  orig- 
inally fine  fields,  and  rendered  them  unfit  for  the  purposes 
of  onion  growing,  at  least  for  the  present.  A  satisfactory 
crop  cannot  be  expected  on  poor  land  the  first  season,  no 
matter  how  lavish  the  grower  might  be  with  his  manure 
applications. 

On  one  farm  I  noticed  a  corner  lot  near  the  barn,  the 
soil  being  a  fine  sandy  loam,  quite  rich  from  having  received 

16 


THE   PREPARATIONS.  17 

frequent  dressings  of  manure  and  the  washes  from  the  barn- 
yard. This,  with  the  help  of  liberal  manuring,  would 
prove  to  be  a  fine  spot  whereon  to  locate  an  onion  patch.  If 
it  happens  to  be  in  sod,  and  the  sod  so  old  and  tough  that 
it  is  not  likely  to  break  up  and  give  the  needed  smooth, 
mellow  seed  bed  early  enough  in  spring,  it  should  be 
broken  the  year  before,  either  in  spring  or  at  least  by  early 
autumn.     If  so  treated,  it  will  be  all  right. 

The  fields  of  stiff  clay,  as  we  find  them  on  many  farms, 
are  often  insufficiently  drained,  and  usually  lacking  in 
organic  (vegetable)  matter  such  as  is  supplied  by  applica- 
tions of  stable  manure  or  by  turning  under  clover  and 
other  green  crops.  They  are  almost  always  lumpy  in  spring, 
liable  to  crack  in  the  hot  season,  and  therefore  unsuitable 
for  our  purposes.  Otherwise,  well-drained  clay  loams,  if 
only  rich  enough,  often  give  good  yields. 

Sandy  muck  is  perhaps  an  ideal  soil  for  onion  growing, 
especially  if  it  can  be  arranged  for  sub-irrigation,  as  ex- 
plained later  on.  Even  muck  with  next  to  no  sand  in  its 
make-up  is  largely  used,  and  can  be  made  to  produce  good 
crops.  But  it  must  have  thorough  under-drainage  and  be 
freed  from  all  obstructions  and  rubbish.  If  such  muck 
soil  is  almost  free  from  sand,  and  consequently  inclined  to 
be  moister  than  desirable,  there  is  some  danger  that  a 
large  portion  of  the  plants  will  form  thick  necks,  producing 
''scallions"  or  ^' romps  ;"^  and  even  the  well-formed  and 
well-cured  bulbs  will  be  lacking  the  solidity  and  specific 
gravity  of  those  grown  on  clay  or  sandy  loams.  An 
additional  disadvantage  of  many  of  these  mucky  onion 
grounds  is  their  liability  to  being  washed  over  or  flooded 
in  times  of  heavy  rains,  to  the  great  injury  of  the  growing 
crop. 

The  deep,  rich,  clean,  well-drained  brown  loams  of  our 
river   bottoms  are   usually  admirably  adapted  for  onion- 


18  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

growing,  and  where  such  land  is  at  command,  there  is  no 
need  of  looking  elsewhere  for  the  right  location. 

Of  course,  not  everybody  can  have  an  ideal  spot  for  his 
onion  venture.  I  have  had  to  be  contented  with  rather 
inferior  soil  for  some  time,  and  yet  have  been  quite  success- 
ful. My  rule  is  to  take  the  best  at  hand,  and  then  try  to 
make  the  most  of  it.  Soils  not  in  condition  to  be  planted 
now  may  be  rendered  suitable  for  planting  next  year  or 
the  year  after.  If  they  are  not  perfectly  underdrained,  the 
laying  of  a  few  lines  of  tile  will  make  them  so  ;  if  not  rich 
enough,  heavy  dressings  of  barnyard  manure  for  a  few 
years  will  supply  the  deficiency  in  humus  and  fertility ;  if 
too  weedy,  a  few  seasons'  thorough  cultivation  will  render 
them  reasonably  clean. 

To  tell  the  whole  story  in  a  few  words,  I  would  say,  use 
any  kind  of  rich,  clean  soil,  provided  it  is  thoroughly 
underdrained,  either  by  nature  or  by  man's  agency,  and 
reasonably  free  from  w^eed  seeds,  and  in  such  mechanical 
condition  that  it  will  allow  you  to  prepare  a  seed  bed 
''fine  and  mellow  as  an  ash  heap." 

Soil  Antecedents. 

It  is  always  well  to  know  the  antecedents  of  a  piece  of 
ground  in  order  to  reach  a  just  conclusion  concerning  the 
degree  in  which  it  is  suitable  for  onion  growing.  As  a 
rule,  its  desirability  for  the  purpose  increases  in  the  same 
ratio  as  the  intensity  of  culture  that  it  has  received  for 
some  time  back. 

A  few  days  ago  a  friend  showed  me  a  piece  of  land 
which  he  intends  to  plant  to  onions,  and  which  seems  to 
me  ideal,  not  only  in  soil  but  in  preparation  also.  It  is  a 
deep  brown  loam  on  the  flats. 

''  You  should  have  seen  the  crop  of  clover  that  grew  on 
this  field  three   years  ago.     Simply  immense!"  said  he. 


THE   PREPARATIONS.  ly 

'^  It  was  cut  early,  and  the  aftermath,  another  heavy  growth, 
left  on  the  ground  to  rot,  although  the  neighbors  laughed 
at  me  for  letting  so  much  good  hay  go  to  waste.  A  fair 
dressing  of  half-rotted  stable  manure  was  put  on  in  autumn, 
and  the  field  plowed  in  early  spring.  It  would  have  done 
your  eyes  good  to  see  the  crop  of  potatoes  I  took  off  that 
piece  that  season — more  than  350  bushels  to  the  acre,  I 
guess — and  the  nicest  and  smoothest  potatoes  I  ever  laid 
my  eyes  on  !  In  fall  or  winter  following  the  land  received 
another  light  dressing  of  half-decayed  sheep  manure,  and 
in  spring  it  was  planted  to  beets  and  carrots.  Well,  such  a 
crop  as  that  was  again!  The  neighbors  haven't -had  a 
word  to  say  for  a  year  or  two  about  my  '  foolishness  in  let- 
ting so  much  good  hay  go  to  waste.'  It  has  tickled  me, 
too,  to  see  some  of  them  try  the  same  method  of  raising 
potatoes,  and  apparently  with  good  success.  Now,  I  assure 
you,  there  have  not  many  weeds  been  given  a  chance  to 
ripen  and  scatter  seed  on  this  lot  for  several  years. ' ' 

This  is  indeed  a  most  excellent  preliminary  treatment  of 
a  piece  of  land  to  be  used  for  onion  growing.  I  do  not 
know  how  it  could  be  improved  upon.  That  the  rotation 
may  be  varied  more  or  less,  should  go  without  saying;  but 
I  like  to  have  clover  as  one  of  the  fore-crops.  It  cleans 
the  field  and  supplies  the  soil  with  the  decaying  vegetable 
matter  which  is  of  such  great  importance.  Following  it, 
you  may  grow  crops,  for  a  year  or  two,  which  require  high 
manuring  and  high  cultivation,  such  as  carrots,  beets, 
radishes,  celery,  spinach,  or  other  garden  vegetables.  A 
rotation  of  this  kind  fits  the  land  nicely  for  onion  growing. 

Onions  in  Succession. 
If  we  believe  orthodox  teachings,  onions  can  be  grown 
successfully  on  land  where  onions   have   been  grown  for 
many  years  in  succession.     Our  old  onion  growers  always 


20  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

State  that  with  proper  manuring  the  last  crop  thus  grown 
in  succession  on  the  same  ground  will  usually  be  found 
better  than  any  preceding  one.  This  may  still  be  true  in 
some  cases;  but  there  are  dangers  lurking  in  the  practice. 
Fungous  diseases  of  cultivated  plants  have  multiplied  at 
a  terrible  rate  in  recent  years.  The  onion  blight  is  quite 
apt  to  interfere  if  onions  are  grown  in  succession  on  the 
same  soil,  and  when  it  once  has  taken  a  foothold,  it  is 
quite  sure  to  attack  and  cut  short  the  next  onion  crop. 
As  we  have  no  means  to  fight  and  conquer  it,  the  only 
safety  lies  in  running  away  from  it  by  changing  the  loca- 
tion of  the  onion  patch  at  least  every  other  year,  and  still 
better  every  year.  My  experience  has  made  me  a  firm 
believer  in  the  wisdom  of  strict  rotation. 


IV. 

THE  WORK  BEGINS. 
MANURING,  PLOWING,  HARROWING. 

STABLE  MANURE. — AMOUNT  REQUIRED. — ITS  VALUE. — COMPOSTING 
IT. — APrLICATION  AND  PLOWING  IN. — WOOD  ASHES. — COMPLETE 
FERTILIZERS. — NITRATE  OF  SODA. — POULTRY  DROPPINGS. — SALT 
AND  LIME.  —OTHER  MANURIAL  SUBSTANCES. — HOW  APPLIED. — 
PULVERIZERS   AND  SMOOTHING   HARROWS,  ETC. 

With  a  properly-selected  piece  of  ground,  and  an  abund- 
ance of  old  barnyard  manure  to  begin  with,  we  will  have 
pretty  plain  sailing.  On  ground  that  has  been  heavily 
manured  with  stable  manure,  year  after  year,  or  which  has 
been  treated  pretty  freely  with  clover,  and  which  in  conse- 
quence is  full  of  organic  matter,  also  on  rich  muck  and 
other  soils  abundantly  provided  with  humus,  we  may  some- 
times entirely,  or  more  often  partially,  dispense  with  man- 
ures originating  in  the  barnyard,  but  I  seldom  feel  safe 
without  them.  When  we  desire  to  raise  crops  that  approach 
the  great  capabilities  of  the  soil,  we  must  give,  not  only 
full,  but  also  varied  rations.  I  have  learned  to  appreciate, 
and  know  the  full  value  of,  commercial  concentrated  fer- 
tilizers, and  under  some  circumstances  would  not  hesitate 
to  operate  with  them  to  the  exclusion  of  coarser  manures ; 
but,  as  an  onion  grower,  I  put  my  first  reliance  on  good, 
old,  stable  manure.  This  should  be  well  rotted,  free  from 
weed-seeds,  and  free  from  other  infection.  Onion  growers, 
for  instance,  often  throw  their  onion  refuse — tops  and 
trimmings  generally,  decayed  or  otherwise  unsalable  bulbs, 
etc. — upon  the  manure  heap.  I  would  be  afraid  of  such 
compost,  as  it  may  carry  the  germs  of  the  blight. 

21 


22  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

Stable  Manure. 

Always  pick  out  the  very  oldest,  most  nearly  rotted  man- 
ure in  the  yards,  and  reject  all  that  is  coarse,  freshly  made, 
and  full  of  weed-seeds.  We  cannot  be  too  careful  in  re- 
gard to  the  last-named  item,  especially  when  growing  the 
crop  directly  from  seed  (in  the  old  way).  Weedy  land 
and  weedy  manure  render  the  crop  a  pretty  costly  one,  and 
usually  eat  up  all  the  profits. 

Any  kind  of  fine  and  clean  manure  will  do.  It  matters 
little  whether  it  comes  from  the  horse  and  cow  stables,  the 
sheep  sheds,  or  the  pig  sty.  A  mixture  is  as  good  as 
anything.  Poultry  droppings  and  night-soil  are  also 
especially  useful  as  an  addition  to  the  compost  heap. 

But  let  us  make  no  mistake  concerning  the  quantity 
needed.  A  looo  bushels  of  onions  cannot  be  manufac- 
tured out  of  half  a  dozen  or  a  dozen  loads  of  such  manure. 
Unless  the  land  is  already  well  provided  with  humus, 
nothing  less  than  sixty  loads,  each  load  containing  a  plump 
ton  or  more,  will  answer,  and  soils  that  are  poor  in  organic 
matter  may  require  considerably  more  to  give  best  results. 
By  all  means  be  liberal.  People  accustomed  to  the  methods 
employed  by  the  average  farmer  in  feeding  (or  rather 
starving)  the  ordinary  crops  are  apt  to  be  afraid  of  hurting 
onions  by  excessive  manure  applications.  Put  your  mind 
at  ease.  The  more  you  fill  the  soil  with  good  compost, 
the  more  will  the  proceeds  from  the  crop  fill  your  pocket. 

Market  gardeners  seldom  get  from  their  own  stock  what 
manure  they  need ;  but  often  they  can  purchase  it  at  rea- 
sonable rates,  either  at  the  livery  stables  in  the  nearest  city, 
from  dairymen,  or  other  farmers  who  have  not  yet  learned 
the  real  value  of  good  manure,  or  from  railroad  stock  yards. 
A  ton  of  ordinary  good  mixed  manure  that  is  neither  fire- 
fan  ged  nor  leached  out  is  worth  at  the  established  values 


THE    WORK  BEGINS.  23 

of  plant  foods  at  least  $2.  Frequently  it  can  be  bought 
at  one  quarter  of  that  amount. 

You  can  haul  this  manure,  probably  rather  fresh,  during 
summer  and  autumn,  and  pile  it  up  in  great,  square  heaps, 
if  possible  under  a  shed,  to  rot  down.  If  it  heats  rapidly 
and  violently,  pour  water  upon  it,  or  better,  if  you  have  it, 
liquid  from  the  barnyard,  and  fork  the  heaps  over  several 
times.  During  winter  or  early  spring,  haul  this  compost 
to  the  field  and  spread  it  thickly  and  evenly. 

No  matter  how  fine  and  well  rotted  this  manure  may  be, 
heavy  dressings  of  it  should  always  be  plowed  under  and 
mixed  as  thoroughly  as  possible  with  the  surface  soil.  Fer- 
tilizers of  a  more  concentrated  character,  such  as  wood- 
ashes,  bone-meal,  phosphates,  potash,  and  nitrate  salts,  I 
invariably  apply  after  plowing.  Remember  that  the  aim  is 
simply  to  prepare  a  fine,  mellow  seed  bed,  and  that  there  is 
no  necessity,  usually,  to  run  the  plow  deeper  than  required 
for  that  purpose.  Good  judgment  alone  can  and  should  be 
the  guide  in  this.  On  somewhat  tenacious  soil  a  depth  of 
eight  inches  is  about  right ;  on  deep,  mellow  soil  less  will  do. 

Preparing  the  Soil. 

Ordinarily,  I  prefer  spring  plowing.  Clean  loams  filled 
with  humus,  especially  muck  lands,  which,  after  having 
given  a  crop  of  celery,  or  carrots,  or  beets,  or  a  similar  crop, 
were  manured  and  plowed  in  the  fall,  however,  may  be 
prepared  in  spring  by  means  of  deep-cutting  harrows  or 
cultivators  without  replowing ;  or  plowing  may  even  be 
omitted  altogether  if  the  dressing  of  compost  was  a  light 
one,  or  if  the  more  concentrated  manures  alone  are  to  be 
used. 

While  admitting  that  a  large  crop  can  be  produced  with 
barnyard  manure  exclusively,  I  confess  I  hardly  ever  feel 
safe  without  additional  rations  of  concentrated  manures. 


24  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

Concentrated  Manures. 

When  I  can  get  good  wood  ashes,  leached  or  imleached, 
at  a  reasonable  cost,  say  ^3  or  ^4  per  ton  for  the  former 
and  $8  or  $10  per  ton  for  the  latter,  I  use  them  freely,  even 
where  a  heavy  dressing  of  compost  was  applied.  Wood 
ashes  are  especially  serviceable  in  preventing  the  ill  effects 
of  a  protracted  drouth.  Two  tons  of  the  unleached  article 
per  acre  are  not  too  much,  while  three  or  four  times  that 
quantity  of  leached  ashes  may  be  put  on  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  good  results.  Unleached  ashes,  however,  are  a 
strong,  but  rather  one-sided  manure,  and  it  will  be  well  to 
add  300  to  500  pounds  of  bone  meal  or  acid  phosphate  per 
acre. 

If  ashes  are  not  to  be  had,  or  not  at  reasonable  cost,  I 
usually  apply  about  one  ton  of  some  high-grade,  complete, 
special  vegetable  or  potato  manure,  costing  ^40  or  more.  In 
the  place  of  it  we  might  use  a  ton  of  superphosphate  (acid 
phosphate,  or  perhaps  Thomas'  slag  or  phosphate  meal) 
and  300  pounds  or  more  of  sulphate  of  potash.  If  kainit 
or  muriate  of  potash  is  to  be  used  in  place  of  the  sulphate, 
it  should  be  applied  in  the  autumn  before,  at  the  rate  of 
say  1000  pounds  of  the  one,  or  250  pounds  of  the  other. 

I  never  omit  the  application  of  nitrate  of  soda  in  small 
but  repeated  doses,  using  about  75  pounds  per  acre  each 
time,  and  perhaps  225  or  300  pounds  per  acre  in  the  aggre- 
gate. It  can  be  sown  broadcast  like  wheat,  and  the  first 
application  should  be  made  shortly  after  the  seed  is  sown 
or  the  plants  are  set  out.  Sulphate  of  ammonia  might  be 
used  as  a  substitute  for  nitrate  of  soda,  and  may  be  put  on 
all  at  once  at  the  proper  time  for  the  first  application  of 
the  nitrate,  sowing  about  250  pounds  per  acre.  In  the 
majority  of  cases  the  use  of  these  chemicals  gives  good 
results. 


THE   WORK  BEGINS.  25 

I  make  it  a  practice  to  apply  even  the  poultry  droppings 
after  plowing.  They  are  a  most  valuable  and  effective  fer- 
tilizer for  onions.  Of  course,  they  should  be  dry  and  fine, 
not  a  pasty  mass.  To  get  them  in  good  condition  for  use 
and  preserve  all  their  strength,  I  allow  them  to  accu- 
mulate during  the  w^inter  under  the  perches,  upon  a  layer 
of  dry  muck,  and  scatter  sifted  coal-ashes  thickly  over  them 
once  a  week  or  oftener.  You  can  spread  this  mixture,  even 
at  the  rate  of  ten  tons  or  more  per  acre,  over  the  plowed 
surface,  as  evenly  as  possible,  and  mix  it  w^ith  the  soil  in 
the  subsequent  process  of  harrowing. 

Of  course,  there  are  many  more  manurial  substances  that 
individual  onion-growers  may  have  at  command,  or  within 
reach,  such  as  dried  blood  and  dried  fish,  cotton-seed  meal, 
cotton-seed  hull  ashes,  tobacco  refuse,  bone-meal,  etc.  All 
these  and  many  others  may  be  applied  to  the  onion  field 
in  the  same  manner  as  used  for  other  crops,  only  in  greatly 
increased  quantities. 

Salt  and  lime  are  hardly  ever  of  much  benefit  on  these 
highly-manured  grounds,  except,  perhaps,  when  the  growler 
operates  exclusively  with  stable  manures.  In  that  case,' 
light  dressings  (loo  pounds  salt,  500  pounds  lime)  may  be 
of  advantage. 

The  most  convenient  method  of  applying  all  dry  and  fine 
manures  after  plowing,  but  before  seed  sowing  or  plant 
setting,  is  by  means  of  a  fertilizer  drill,  which  not  only  dis- 
tributes those  plant-foods  evenly,  but  also  aids  in  mixing 
them  with  the  ground  and  in  smoothing  the  surface.  If 
a  fertilizer  drill  is  not  at  hand,  the  manures  have  to  be 
broadcasted  as  well  as  you  can  do  it. 

Harrowing  and  Rolling. 
In  order  to  get  the  desired  mellow  seed  or  plant  bed, 
harrows,  and  perhaps  a  roller,  have  to  be  used  freely  and 


26  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

thoroughly  as  soon  as  the  last  handful  of  fertilizer  is  put 
on.  On  nice  mellow  soil,  ordinary  smoothing  harrows 
alone  may  be  relied  on  for  doing  the  work  properly.  For 
more   tenacious   soils,    or   on    mucky   soils  that  were  not 


Fig. 


Disk  Harrow,  or  Pulvekizek, 


plowed  or  replowed  in  spring,  a  pulverizer  or  disk  harrow 
(similar  to  the  one  here  illustrated)  will  be  required,  or  at 
least  desirable.  This  cuts  the  surface  up  deeply,  and  mixes 
soil  and  manure  together  quite  thoroughly.     The  ordinary 


Fig. 2. 


Meeker  Harrow. 


smoothing  harrow,  or  ''drag,"  may  be  used  next,  and,  if 
the  surface  is  then  still  lumpy,  the  roller  should  follow,  and 
after  this  the  fertilizer  drill.  Don't  let  up  with  harrows 
and  roller,  however,  before  the  surface  is  entirely  fine  and 


riJE    WORK  BEGINS.  27 

smooth.  A  great  help  in  this  work,  especially  for  putting 
on  the  finishing  touches,  is  the  small  disk  or  ''  Meeker" 
harrow,  here  illustrated.  It  is  rather  expensive,  but  ex- 
tremely useful,  and  almost  indispensable  on  the  truck  farm. 
Since  the  advent  of  this  implement  v/e  have  little  use  for 
the  steel  rake  in  preparing  land  for  the  garden  seed  drill. 

Whatever  implements  we  use,  however,  it  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  that  the  surface  is  made  smooth  and  even.  If 
we  cannot  secure  this  condition  otherwise,  we  must  finish 
off  with  the  hand  rake,  and  we  are  then  ready  for  sowing 
the  seed  or  setting  the  plants. 


V. 

THE  OLD  AND  THE   NEW. 
TWO  WAYS  OF  PLANTING. 

THE   REGULAR    OLD   WAY. — TESTING    THE    SEED   VARIETIES. — SOAKING 
SEED. — GARDEN  DRILLS. — QUANTITY  OF  SEED  PER  ACRE. — SOWING. 

— SOWING    BY    HAND. — THE     NEW     WAY. ITS     ADVANTAGES. — 

VARIETIES  SUITED  FOR  IT.— GROWING  THE  PLANTS. — HOTBEDS. 
— GREENHOUSES. — HARDENING  THE  PLANTS. — TRANSPLANTING. — 
COST  OF  SETTING  PLANTS. — THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW. — MARKERS. 
DIBBER. — TRIMMING   THE   PLANTS. 

Until  1889,  when  I  accidentally  stumbled  on  the  method 
now  appropriately  called  ''The  new  onion  culture,"  the 
plan  of  sowing  seed  directly  in  open  ground  where  the  crop 
is  to  come  to  maturity  was  the  regular  method,  and  sup- 
posed to  be  the  only  one  practicable  and  profitable.  I 
have  now  almost  entirely  abandoned  it,  except  in  growing 
small  pickling  onions  and  sets,  simply  because  I  can  do 
better  when  growing  them  in  the  new  way.  Still,  the 
old  one  often  gives  excellent  results,  and  is  yet  generally 
practiced.  Last  year  I  saw  a  crop  of  Danvers  Yellow 
onions  on  rich,  sandy  muck  that  yielded  nearly  a  thousand 
bushels  per  acre.  Under  especially  favorable  conditions 
the  bulbs  often  grov/  in  great  heaps  or  rolls,  we  might  say 
in  tiers,  along  in  the  rows,  crowding  each  other  sideways 
and  up  and  down,  and  when  pulled  nearly  cover  the 
ground. 

This  system  requires  no  extra  preparation  in  the  way  of 
raising  plants  under  glass,  and  will  undoubtedly  remain  in 
favor  with  the  rank  and  file  of  truckers  for  producing  the 
main  crop  of  the  ordinary  long-keeping  onion  varieties, 

28 


THE    OLD  AXD    THE   NEW.  29 

like  Yellow  Dan  vers,  Yellow  Globe,  Yellow  Dutch,  Red 
Wethersfield,  etc.  Professional  onion  growers  seldom 
plant  a  second  crop,  although  they  often  might  do  so  to 
good  advantage.  They  harvest  the  crop  when  ready,  no 
matter  whether  this  is  a  few  weeks  earlier  or  later,  and  sell 
it  whenever  they  think  best,  often  holding  a  considerable 
part  of  the  crop  for  spring  sales. 

The  Regular  or  Old  Way. 

The  first  aim  of  the  grower  must  be  to  produce  a  large 
crop  of  perfect  bulbs.  To  insure  success  in  this,  early 
planting  is  one  of  the  chief  and  indispensable  conditions. 
Plowing,  harrowing,  etc.,  as  described  in  preceding  chap- 
ter, must  be  done  just  as  early  in  spring  as  the  soil  has 
dried  out  enough  to  be  easily  pulverized.  Delay  in  pre- 
paring the  land,  and  in  planting  after  this,  always  means 
additional  labor,  decrease  of  crop,  and  consequently  risk 
and  loss. 

The  required  amount  of  seed  should  have  been  procured 
in  the  meantime.  This  is  another  important  matter.  I 
always  purchase  my  supply  along  in  January,  and  at  once 
proceed  to  plant  a  few  pinches  of  seed  in  a  box  or  pot 
filled  with  moist  earth  and  kept  in  the  kitchen  window.  I 
then  know  exactly  what  I  have  long  before  the  time  of 
planting.  Of  course,  I  buy  directly  of  a  reliable  seed-dealer, 
and  I  will  say  that  in  all  my  experience  seed  thus  procured 
has  never  been  deficient  in  freshness  (power  of  germina- 
tion), and  rarely  in  purity.  Selection  of  variety  for  this 
purpose  should  be  made  to  suit  the  particular  purpose  or 
particular  market  of  the  grower.  Yellow  Danvers  (Round 
Yellow  Danvers,  Yellow  Globe  Danvers)  is  yet  the  lead- 
ing market  onion,  a  good  yielder,  and  one  of  the  most 
reliable  of  all  sorts  to  bottom  well  and  to  produce  sound 
and  handsome  bulbs.     Yellow  Globe  (Southport  Yell 


ow 


30  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

Globe)  and  Yellow  Strasburg,  or  Dutch,  are  also  good  and 
reliable  varieties,  and  favorites  with  some  planters  and  in 
some  markets. 

To  fill  the  demand  for  a  red  onion,  select  Early  Red 
and  Wethersfield  ;  to  satisfy  that  for  a  white  sort,  raise 
White  Globe,  White  Victoria— Silverskin  (White  Portugal). 

All  the  sorts  here  named  are  standard  market  varieties, 
and  good  keepers.  For  mucky  soils,  however,  I  would 
restrict  the  list  to  Yellow  Danvers  and  Early  Round  Red. 

Some  people  soak  the  seed  in  tepid  water  for  from  twelve 
to  twenty-four  hours,  and  then  again  partially  dry  it  by 
'^rolling"  in  plaster,  just  previous  to  sowing.  Years  ago 
I  sometimes  practiced  this  myself,  but  I  soon  found  that  this 
special  treatment  of  the  seed  is  by  no  means  necessary,  nor 
always  convenient.  Good  seed  sown  in  freshly-stirred 
ground  and  properly  firmed  has,  in  my  experience,  never 
failed  to  germinate  promptly.  Be  sure  to  start  the  garden- 
seed  drill  the  minute  that  you  have  the  ground  in  proper 
shape,  namely,  smooth  and  level  as  a  floor.  The  seed  bed 
then  is  fresh,  moist,  and  inviting,  and  success  will  be  assured. 
•  First,  a  word  about  seed  drills.  There  are  now  a  num- 
ber of  them  in  existence,  and  all  have  their  good  points, 
and  find  their  friends.  People  are  not  all  constituted  alike. 
Every  one  has  his  peculiarities,  and  what  suits  one  may  not 
suit  another.  Even  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  same 
purpose  it  will  be  found  necessary  to  have  different  ways, 
and  means  and  tools,  in  order  to  suit  all  tastes  and  views, 
and  individual  peculiarities,  if  not  even  oddities.  Every 
gardener  should  carefully  examine  the  different  seed  drills 
before  buying,  and  then  select  the  one  which  seems  to  fit 
his  case.  I,  for  my  part,  like  the  Planet  Jr.,  and  I  think 
the  majority  of  people  will  agree  with  me  that  it  is  a  good 
and  serviceable  tool.  If  you  have  much  use  for  a  drill,  the 
separate  implement  will  be  the  better  one  to  buy,  while  the 


THE    OLD  AND    THE   NEW. 


31 


combined  drill  and-wheel  hoe  will  answer  well  enough  for 
the  purposes  of  the  home-grower  and  small  gardener. 

When  ready  to  sow,  stretch  a  line  across  one  end  of  the 
patch  to  act  as  a  guide  for  running  the  drill.  I  like  to  have 
the  rows  as  straight  as  a  string.  It  looks  better,  and  gives 
better  satisfaction.  Adjust  the  marker  attachment  to  mark 
twelve  or  fourteen  inches  apart,  set  the  opening  as  directed 
for  onion  seed,  fill  the  hopper,  and  proceed  to  sow.     If  the 


Fig.  3. 


Planet,  Jr.,  Garden-Seed  Drill. 


seed  runs  out  too  freely,  readjust  the  discharge  opening. 
There  is  quite  a  difference  in  the  size  of  the  kernels  in  dif- 
ferent samples  of  seed,  as  also  in  weight,  and  consequently 
some  seed  runs  out  faster  than  other  samples.  It  is  by  no 
means  easy  to  sow  just  so  many  pounds  per  acre  with  any 
of  the  drills  now  in  use.  The  task  always  calls  for  the  exer- 
cise of  good  judgment  in  each  particular  case. 

Four  pounds  of  good  seed,  if  sown  evenly,  would  be  fully 


32 


ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 


enough  for  an  acre  of  good  onion  ground.  The  trouble  is, 
our  drills  are  not  perfect,  and  we  cannot  adjust  them  to 
insure  the  sowing  of  the  exact  amount  desired.     Above  all 


Fig  4. 


Little  Gem  Garden-Seed  Drill. 


things,  I   fear  gaps  in  the  rows.     They  reduce  the  yield 
and  the  profits.     I  rather  sow  six  or  even  more  pounds 


Fig.  5. 


Deere  Garden-Seed  Drill. 


4  to  the  acre,  do  a  little  (and  sometimes  a  good  deal)  of 
thinning,  and  thus  make  sure  of  a  full  stand,  a  full  crop, 


THE    OLD   AND    THE   NEW. 


33 


and  full  returns.  I  usually,  after  setting  my  drill  as  I  think 
from  the  looks  of  the  seed  is  about  right,  put  a  quarter  or 
half  pound  of  seed  into  the  hopper,  and  sow  this.  Then 
I  make  a  careful  estimate  of  the  ground  gone  over,  and  of 
the  rate  per  acre  that  the  seed  was  sown,  and  change  the 
discharge  hole  accordingly.  Experience  and  good  judg- 
ment will  soon  teach  you  how  to  do  this  thing  just  right. 

It  is  quite  likely  that  the  rows,  as  the  sower  proceeds 
in  his  task,  begin  to  get  somewhat  crooked.  In  such  a 
case  I  invariably  stretch  the  garden  line  once,  and  if  the 
patch  is  large,  perhaps  two  or  three  times  more,  to  guide 


Fig.  6. 


Mathew's  Garden-Seku  Drill. 


the  drill  and  correct  the  deviations  from  the  straight 
course. 

All  good  garden  seed  drills  are  provided  with  a  small 
roller  back  of  the  seed  discharge  tube.  This  firms  the 
ground  over  the  seed  sufficiently  for  all  purposes.  At  least 
I  have  never  had  to  complain  about  good  seed  failing  to 
germinate  promptly:  so  I  consider  all  additional  efforts 
toward  firming  the  soil  entirely  superfluous. 

Seed  may  also  be  sown  without  the  use  of  a  seed  drill. 
In  that  case  I  would  mark  out  rows  with  an  ordinary  garden 
marker,  twelve  inches  apart  and  one  inch  deep;  then 
3 


34  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

scatter  the  seed  in  them  thinly  but  evenly,  or  drop  a 
pinch  of  five  to  eight  kernels  every  six  inches  in  the  row, 
cover  by  drawing  a  steel  rake  lengthwise  of  the  row,  and  at 
last  firm  the  soil  by  walking  heel-to-toe  fashion  over  each 
row,  or  by  means  of  any  ordinary  roller.  The  use  of  the 
seed  drill,  however,  is  by  far  the  most  convenient  and 
satisfactory  way. 

People  who  grow  onions  and  other  vegetables  for  their 
own  use  only,  usually  are  not  in  the  position  to  possess  or 
use  a  garden  drill.  Many  have  not  even  a  hand  wheel-hoe, 
which  I  consider  much  more  indispensable  for  them.  I 
myself  seldom  use  a  seed  drill  in  the  home  garden,  as  I  find 
that  hand  sowing  is  much  more  convenient  and  expedient 
for  the  comparatively  short  rows  and  the  great  variety  of 
small  seed  lots.  The  majority  of  home  gardeners  usually 
prefer  to  buy  rather  than  grow  what  dry  onions  they  may 
need.  If  they  can  once  be  induced  to  give  the  new  way, 
hereafter  described,  a  thorough  trial,  I  am  sure  they  will  find 
it  easier  and  more  convenient  than  the  old  method,  and 
too  satisfactory  in  every  way  to  be  again  abandoned. 

The  New  Onion  Culture. 
In  my  experiments  with  the  Prizetaker  and  Spanish  King 
onions,  then  yet  novelties,  in  1888  and  1889,  and  while 
trying  to  make  every  seed  count,  I  discovered  several 
things  new  to  me.  One  is  that  few  vegetable  plants  stand 
the  transplanting  process  with  greater  ease  than  onion  seed- 
lings; another,  that  the  crop  can  be  made  to  mature 
several  weeks  earlier  by  starting  the  plants  under  glass 
and  setting  them  out  in  the  open  in  early  spring;  a 
third,  that  not  only  the  size  of  the  individual  bulbs,  but 
also  the  number  of  bushels  per  acre  can  be  largely  increased 
by  these  means  ;  a  fourth,  that  the  dreaded  task  of  weeding 
is  reduced  to  a  minimum ;  and  a  fifth,  that  the  crop  is  made 


THE    OLD   AND    THE   NEW.  35 

generally  more  valuable  and  profitable  than  when  grown  in 
the  old  way. 

A  full-fledged  .new  system  has  been  evolved  from  these 
first  trials  and  accidental  discoveries,  and  is  now  quite 
generally  known  as  ''The  New  Onion  Culture,"  a  name 
under  which  I  introduced  it  in  1890. 

While  the  idea  is  not  new,  its  application  is.  Gardeners 
in  Old  England  have  for  many  years  practiced  a  similar 
system  in  growing  extra  large  and  fine  bulbs  for  exhibition 
purposes,  and  in  some  parts  of  the  United  States  onions  for 
bunching  have  also  been  grown  in  the  same  way.  There 
is  no  record,  however,  showing  that  anybody  before  me 
has  ever  thought  of  applying  the  system  to  field  culture  on 
an  extensive  scale.  Now  it  is  being  practiced  by  many 
progressive  growers  with  eminent  success,  and  continues  to 
grow  in  favor  with  all  who  have  tested  it. 

For  myself,  I  have  little  use  for  the  older  plan,  simply 
because  the  new  system  secures  me  several  times  the  net 
proceeds  that  I  can  get  by  following  the  other.  But  I  do 
not  grow  Danvers,  nor  Wethersfield,  nor  any  of  the  old 
standard  kinds,  and  never  attempt  to  keep  my  crop  over 
winter  for  spring  sales.  Quite  the  contrary.  I  always  aim 
to  throw  my  whole  crop  into  the  market  as  early  in  fall  as 
I  can  get  it  ready,  and  thus  avoid  risk  and  losses. 

I  can  grow  a  selected,  large  variety  of  the  Yellow  Dutch 
type  (which,  by  the  way,  is  a  most  excellent  keeper,  and 
even  if  grown  thus  early  is  well  suited  for  wintering  over 
if  desired)  and  sell  it  in  August  at  the  good  prices  then 
usually  ruling,  long  before  the  old-school  onion  grower  has 
a  ripe  bulb. 

For  main  crop,  however,  I  grow  the  large  new  varieties 
,of  the  Yellow  Spanish  type,  Prizetaker,  Spanish  King,  etc., 
especially  the  former,  and  for  a  white  sort  the  newer  White 
Victoria.     The  new  onion  culture  is  particularly  suited  to 


38  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

all  large  foreign  sorts,  and  the  trouble  is  only  that  we  find 
so  i^w  long-keepers  among  them.  The  Prizetaker,  however, 
keeps  fairly  well,  and  when  properly  grown  and  cured  can 
be  wintered  over  successfully.  I  often  grow  them  to  weigh 
a  pound  and  a  half  apiece,  and  find  no  difficulty  to  sell 
them  at  a  good  price. 

Selection  and  preparation  of  the  land  are  the  same, 
whether  onions  are  to  be  grown  after  the  one  or  the  other 
plan,  and  earliness  also  is  a  chief  point  of  importance  in 
either  case.  The  plants  should  be  ready  for  setting  out  in 
the  open  ground  just  as  soon  as  the  latter  can  be  prepared 
according  to  directions  given  in  preceding  chapter. 

Growing  the  Plants. 

The  first  and  chief  thing — and  really  the  only  difficulty 
to  be  met  in  practicing  the  new  way — is  to  grow  the  plants. 
Perhaps  we  might  buy  them.  Mr.  A.  J.  Root,  of  Ohio, 
one  of  the  first  men  who  saw  the  advantages  of  the  new 
system  and  helped  to  develop  it,  was  also  the  person  who 
first  hit  upon  the  idea  of  growing  onion  plants  for  sale. 
Quite  a  business  was  done  in  this  line  the  past  season. 
Probably  it  will  not  be  long  before  Prizetaker  and  White 
Victoria  onion  seedlings  will  be  quoted  by  the  thousand  and 
hundred  thousand  in  all  seed  catalogues. 

Most  growers,  however,  will  prefer  to  raise  their  own 
plants.  I  do,  because  I  save  money  by  so  doing.  Of 
course,  they  must  be  grown  under  glass  and  in  artificial 
heat.  In  this  locality  the  plants  should  be  ready  to  go  out 
into  the  open  air  not  much  later  than  first  week  of  May, 
and  consequently  seed  should  be  sown  from  middle  of 
February  to  middle  of  March  at  the  latest.  This  is  a  very 
important  point  if  we  grow  Prizetaker  or  other  large,  late 
sorts.  Poor  plants,  set  late,  I  find,  are  more  liable  to 
produce  worthless,   thick-necked  romps  than   to   produce 


THE    OLD  AND    THE   NEW.  37 

fine,  sound,  well-finished  bulbs.  With  the  ordinary  earlier 
sorts  there  is  less  risk  from  this  cause,  but  an  early  start  is 
important  just  the  same,  for  without  it  we  will  lose  our 
chances  of  securing  the  high  prices  of  the  crop  ruling 
the  markets  previous  to  the  advent  of  the  main  crop. 

For  the  purposes  of  the  home-grower  a  box  filled  with 
nice,  clean  sandy  loam  and  set  in  a  kitchen  window  will 
answer.  Buy  an  ordinary  paper  of  the  desired  onion  va- 
riety and  sow  the  seed  thinly,  either  in  rows  two  or  three 
inches  apart  or  broadcast,  cover  with  fine  soil  or  sand 
to  the  depth  of  a  half  or  three-quarters  of  an  inch,  and 
firm  well.  Apply  water  as  needed  to  keep  the  soil  moist 
(not  wet),  and  after  the  plants  make  their  appearance  pull 
up  all  weeds  that  may  start.  If  the  onion  seedlings  are 
"  as  thick  as  hair  on  a  dog,"  they  will  require  thinning, 
and,  at  any  rate,  if  in  the  least  crowded,  the  tops  should 
be  shortened  by  shearing  or  clipping  for  the  purpose  of 
making  the  young  plants  short  and  stocky.  One  good 
plant  is  worth  more  than  a  dozen  poor,  spindling  things. 
A  good  plant  is  easily  transplanted  and  sure  to  pass 
through  the  operation  uninjured,  no  matter  how  dry  the 
weather  may  be.  The  crowded,  spindling  plant,  however, 
is  liable  to  lose  its  life  under  unfavorable  conditions,  and, 
at  any  rate,  will  require  an  unreasonably  long  time  to  get 
established  in  its  new  quarters,  and  to  begin  a  new,  strong 
growth. 

Heretofore  I  have  grown  my  plants  in  hot-beds,  some- 
times even  in  cold  frames.  For  the  colder  Northern 
States  artificial  heat  is  indispensable  to  secure  all  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  new  method.  Cold  frames  may  do  in  the 
South.  I  also  prefer  glass  sash,  while  in  milder  climates 
muslin-covered  frames  may  give  all  the  protection  needed. 

The  hot-bed  should  have  a  mild,  lasting  heat,  which  can 
be  secured  by  an   eighteen-inch   layer  of  well-tempered^ 


38 


ONIONS  FOR  PROFIT. 


closely-packed  horse  manure,  or  a  mixture  of  horse  and 
sheep  manure.  It  is  not  necessary,  nor  even  desirable,  to 
use  extremely  rich  soil.  An  ordinary  rich,  sandy  loam  or 
sandy  muck,  freshly  drawn  and  spread  over  the  manure 
about  six  inches  deep,  is  better  and  safer  than  old  hot-bed 
compost,  which  is  liable  to  be  infected  with  fungus  spores, 
and  perhaps  full  of  animal  life.     A  mixture  of  clean  sand 


Fig.  7. 


w/0^Wi^f >4^J^^'4'^^4^''  i^ ' 


Overcrowded.  Just  Right. 

Onion  Seedlings. 


and  rich,  clean  loam  is  all  right.  A  little  lime  may  be 
added  to  the  hot-bed  soil  as  a  precaution  against  the  multi- 
plication of  earthworms. 

Frequently  the  young  seedlings,  after  having  taken  a 
good  start,  suddenly  lose  their  bright,  healthy  color ;  the 
ends  of  the  tops  dry  up,  and  many  of  the  plants  die  down 
entirely — all  without  apparent  cause.  I  think  if  soil  is 
prepared  according  to  my  directions,  not  made  excessively 


THE    OLD  AND    THE   NEW.  39 

rich  by  adding  great  quantities  of  manure  and  ashes,  the 
seedlings  will  grow  all  right. 

For  the  future,  I  shall  prefer  to  grow  my  plants  in  the 
greenhouse,  either  in  flats  or  in  bench  beds.  Here  Feb- 
ruary is  often  our  coldest  month,  and  hot-bed  making  at 
that  time  not  always  an  easy  or  pleasant  task.  In  the  green- 
house we  can  start  our  plants  just  at  the  proper  time,  no 
matter  how  the  weather  may  be.  Manure  heat,  also,  is  not 
always  reliable,  and  the  grower  goes  much  safer  when  he 
trusts  in  one  of  Hitchings  &  Co.'s  boilers,  and  a  system  of 
hot-water  pipes. 

I  believe  that  most  home  gardeners  could  afford  to  run 
a  simple,  cheap,  small  greenhouse,  for  the  conveniences  in 
table  delicacies,  in  flowers,  in  plants  for  spring  setting,  etc., 
which  it  can  be  made  to  furnish  during  the  season  when 
out-door  gardening  is  out  of  the  question.  Certainly,  the 
'*  onion  grower  for  profit  "  should  have  a  house  of  this  kind, 
and  really  I  cannot  see  how  he  can  well  afford  to  get  along 
without  it.  Its  possession  practically  insures  success  from 
the  start,  while  the  onion-plant  crop  in  it  may  be  preceded 
by  a  crop  of  forced  vegetables,  or  flowering  plants,  etc., 
and  followed  by  a  crop  of  tomato,  pepper,  ^gg,  and  other 
plants.  In  fact,  such  a  house  need  not  be  idle  many  months 
of  the  year. 

In  Figs.  8  and  9  the  reader  will  find  plans  of  two  simple 
and  cheap  greenhouses  suited  to  this  purpose.  The  single 
span  may  be  18  feet  wide,  or  the  double-span  house  20  feet 
wide.  To  give  bench  space  sufficient  for  raising  the  first- 
class  plants  required  to  plant  an  acre  of  ground,  make  the 
narrower  house  25  feet,  and  the  wider  one  22  feet  long. 
This  will  be  about  right.  Either  house,  including  boiler, 
heating-pipes,  and  all  other  fixings,  should  not  cost  much 
over  ^300.     Their  demands  for  coal  and  attendance  will  be 


40 


ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 


very  moderate.     To  raise  plants  for  larger  areas,  make  the 
house  correspondingly  longer. 

Many  gro\vei"S  are  not  in  the  position  or  humor  to  put  so 
much  money  in  a  greenhouse.  With  plenty  of  hot-bed 
sashes  at  one's  disposal',  it  is  easy  enough  to  erect  a  struc- 

FiG.  8. 


SCALE  OF  "FEET 


0  2  4  0  8  :o  .  20 

Cheap  Greenhouse  for  Raising  Onion  Plants. 


SCALE  OF  FEET 


Cheap  Double  Span  Greenhouses. 


ture,  such  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  lo.  A  simple  framework, 
a  few  boards,  the  benches,  the  sashes  for  a  roof,  and  a  flue 
running  through  the  center  of  house,  connected  at  lower 
end  with  the  fire-place  and  at  the  upper  end  with  a  chim- 


THE    OLD   AND    THE  NEW. 


41 


ney — include  about  everything  that  is  needed.  The  actual 
cash  outlay  need  not  exceed  ^50.  The  illustration  makes 
the  management  plain  and  further  description  unnecessary. 
Right  here,  however,  I  wish  to  say  that  the  frequent 
renewal  of  the  bench  soil  is  not  only  desirable,  but  dictated 
by  prudence.  Germs  of  plant  diseases  and  insects  soon 
accumulate  in  old  soil  under  the  congenial  conditions  of 
uniform  warmth  and  moisture.  The  safest  way  is  to 
remove  every  bit  of  soil  out  of  the  houses  every  fall,  and 


Fig.  10. 


#J#'^ 


Pit  Roofed  with  Hot-Bed  Sashes. 


put  in  a  new  supply.  Devices  such  as  shown  in  Fig.  11, 
which  represents  a  one-man  hod,  and  Fig.  12,  which  repre- 
sents a  box  to  be  carried  between  two  persons,  come  very 
handy  in  carrying  soil  into  and  out  of  the  greenhouses. 

Our  first  aim  in  raising  plants  must  be  to  get  the  beds, 
benches,  or  flats  well  occupied  with  plants,  and  yet  avoid 
overcrowding,  which  would  lead  to  crippling  the  plants. 
If  we  make  furrows  three  inches  apart  ahd  about  one-half 
to  three-quarter  inches  deep,  and  can  manage  to  get  an 
even  average  of  12  to  15  plants  to  the  inch  of  row,  we  will 
have  about   500  plants  on  a  square  foot ;  and  this  will  be 


42 


ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 


just  about  right.  There  will  be  no  undue  crowding.  Drop 
25  to  30  seeds  to  the  inch  of  row  (making  allowances  for 
losses  or  failure  of  germination),  cover,  and  firm  well.  In 
the  right  kind  of  soil  and  the  proper  temperature,  such 
seeding  will  give  plants  enough  to  come  up  to  our  standard. 


Fig 


One-Man  Hod. 


When  bottom  heat  fails,  as  it  occasionally  does  in  so-called 
hot-beds,  a  large  portion  of  the  seed  is  liable  to  lie  dormant 
in  the  ground  for  a  long  while,  perhaps  until  the  time  that 


Fig.  12. 


Box  FOR  Carrying  Soil  by  Two  Persons. 


the  plants  should  be  set.  To  provide  against  such  acci- 
dent, I  always  sow  seed  in  manure-heated  beds  much  more 
thickly  than  required  under  favorable  conditions,  using 
one  and  a  half  to  two  ounces  per  ordinary  three  by  six 


THE    OLD  AND    THE   NEW.  43 

sash.  Should  the  greater  portion  of  the  seed  germinate 
promptly,  the  plants  would  soon  stand  too  thickly,  and 
must  be  thinned  out.  By  all  means  use  all  reasonable 
means  to  obtain  strong,  stocky  plants,  not  weakly,  spindling 
things.  On  success  in  this  hinges  the  final  success.  I  like 
to  have  my  onion  plants,  when  to  be  set  out,  not  less  than 
three-sixteenths  and,  better,  fully  one-eighth  inch  in 
diameter  at  the  bottom. 

For  a  week  or  two  prior  to  transplanting  plenty  of  air 
and  exposure  should  be  given.  I  usually  remove  the 
sashes  entirely  from  the  hot-beds.  That  this  cannot  be 
done  with  the  greenhouse  is  its  only  disadvantage.  If  you 
cannot  harden  the  plants  properly  otherwise,  and  when 
grown  in  flats,  the  latter  may  be  removed  to  cold  frames 
for  some  days  or  weeks,  and  here  subjected  to  the  im- 
portant hardening  process.  True,  the  onion  is  considered 
hardy,  and  able  to  endure  considerable  frost  without  injury. 
Pampered,  coddled  greenhouse  plants,  grown  quickly  in 
congenial  environments,  have  to  be  gradually  accustomed 
to  hardships,  or  they  will  suffer.  A  single  light  frost  would 
kill  them  if  set  out  in  open  ground  without  previous 
hardening  off. 

When  the  young  plants  are  of  proper  size  and  condition, 
and  the  soil  in  good  working  order  and  prepared  accord- 
ing to  directions,  no  time  should  be  lost  to  begin  the  job 
of  transplanting,  and  to  push  it  to  completion  as  rapidly 
as  possible. 

To  set  the  150,000  or  more  plants  required  to  plant  an 
acre  is  no  child's  play,  although  mere  children  may  be 
trained  to  perform  the  labor.  The  miscellaneous  lot  of 
youngsters  that  I  usually  engage  for  this  work  are  doing 
well,  I  think,  if  they  set  out  2000  plants  each  per  day.  As  I 
pay  them  about  fifty  cents  a  day,  to  plant  an  acre  would  cost, 
therefore,  in  labor  of  transplanting  alone,  not  less  than  $45. 


44  ONIONS  FOR  PROFIT, 

The  regular  hands  employed  by  professional  gardeners 
and  truckers,  however,  are  accustomed  to  handle  and  set 
all  kinds  of  plants,  and  among  these  hands  we  will  find 
some  capable  of  putting  out  from  6000  to  8000  plants  a 
day.  The  onion  grower  who  controls  that  kind  of  labor 
will  not  be  scared  by  the  task  of  planting  onions  in  this 
way  by  the  acre,  or  acres.  Mr.  A.  J.  Root,  of  Ohio,  esti- 
mates the  cost  of  setting  the  plants  at  $25  per  acre.  Mr. 
John  F.  White,  of  Mount  Morris,  N.  Y.,  who  grew  three 
acres  by  the  new  method  this  year,  and  intends  to  more 
than  treble  that  area  next  season,  tells  me  that  twelve  of  his 
men — all  used  to  handling  celery  and  cabbage  plants — will 
plant  an  acre  of  onions  in  a  day.  The  cost  of  the  job, 
therefore,  depends  altogether  on  the  kind  of  labor  you  can 
get. 

I  always  aim  for  the  largest  yield,  and  for  this  reason 
crowd  my  plants  all  I  dare  to.  I  find  that  twelve  inches 
distance  between  the  rows  is  just  about  right.  Mr.  White 
thinks  of  making  them  ten  inches  apart  in  future,  but  I 
would  advise  against  it. 

One  of  the  greatest  mistakes,  however,  that  we  are  apt  to 
make,  and  that  all  who  have  tried  the  new  method,  myself 
included,  have  heretofore  invariably  fallen  into,  is  to  set 
the  plants  too  far  apart  in  the  rows.  In  growing  onions  by 
the  old  method,  we  thought  nothing  of  leaving  from  one  to 
three  plants  to  the  inch  of  row,  and  we  expected  to  see  the 
bulbs  crowd  each  other  sideways,  and  grow  in  heaps  and 
tiers.  Just  take  a  look  at  the  illustration  of  part  of  a  field 
showing  the  old  way  of  growing  onions,  and  see  how  thickly 
they  stand  in  the  rows.  Then,  look  at  the  next  picture, 
which  shows  onions  grown  by  the  new  plan,  and  note  how 
far  apart  the  bulbs  are.  The  mistake  here  made  is  quite 
apparent.  There  are  great  gaps  in  the  rows,  and  only  here 
and  there  are  the  onions  close  enough  together  to  give  a 


THE    OLD   AND    THE    NEW. 


45 


full  crop.  Now  and  then  somebody  claims  that  the  old 
method  gives  him  nearly  as  big  a  yield  as  the  new  one.  I 
only  wonder  that  it  does  not  often  give  a  much  larger  one. 
When  we  set   onions  from  four  to  six  inches  apart  in  the 

Fig.  T3. 


Glimpse  of  Onion  Field.— The  Old  Way. 

rows  (and  it  seems  hard  work  to  make  boys — and  men,  too, 
— who  wish  to  get  over  the  ground  at  a  good  rate,  set  their 
plants   as    close   as  desired    and   ordered)  we   should   not 


Fig    14. 


Glimpse  of  Onion  Field.— The  New  Way. 


look  for  more  than  half  a  crop.  Even  the  largest  varie- 
ties (Prizetaker,  Victoria,  etc.)  require  not  over  three 
inches  space  in  the  row,  and  ordinary  kinds  should  not 
be  planted  more  than  two  inches  apart.     This  point  is  of 


46  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

greatest  importance.  If  we  neglect  to  set  all  the  plants 
that  we  have  room  for,  we  must  not  complain  if  the  crop 
falls  short  of  our  expectations,  and  far  short  of  what  the 
land  is  able  to  produce. 

Setting  the  Plants. 

The  first  step  in  the  operation  of  setting  the  plants  is  to 

mark  out  the  rows.     A  garden  marker,  such  as  is  shown  in 

Fig.  15,  is  quickly  and  easily  made,  and  will  do  well  enough 

when  you  have  nothing  better.   You  have  to  pull  it  over  the 

Fig.  15. 


Simple  Hand  Marker. 

ground,  and  when  you  want  to  see  what  the  marker  is  doing 
you  have  to  walk  backward,  like  a  river-crab,  and  in  the 
meantime  perhaps  get  out  of  the  right  direction  yourself. 

I  like  a  marker  that  is  to  be  pushed  ahead,  not  pulled 
after  you,  and  that  will  enable  the  operator  to  keep  the 
direction,  and  see  whether  he  makes  straight  marks  or 
crooked  ones. 

Fig.  16  illustrates  an  extremely  simple  device.  To  make 
this  marker,  take  three  pieces  of  board,  say  fifteen  or  eighteen 
inches  long,  rounded  off  sleigh-runner  fashion  ;  have  them 
twelve  inches  apart,  nail  a  piece  across  ihe  top  on  the 
straight  side,  and  fasten  a  handle,  as  shown. 


THE  OLD   AND    THE   NEW. 


47 


A  barrow  marker  is  shown  in  Fig.  17.  Have  the  teeth 
slanting  slightly  backward.  The  illustration  makes  a  further 
description  unnecessary. 


Simple  Push  Marker. 


I    prefer   the  roller  marker,   illustrated  in  Fig.    18,  to 
all   other   similar  devices.     Any  light  garden  roller  will 


Fig.  17. 


Bakrow  Marker. 


do,  even  if  made  rather  roughly  out  of  a  piece  of  oak  or 
chestnut  log,  say  three  or  four  feet  long  and  a  foot  or  so  in 
diameter.     A  plain  roller  could  be  made  to  answer,  if  you 


48 


ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 


will  stretch  two  clothes  lines  across,  and  then  roll  the 
machine  along  over  them.  This  makes  good  marks  for 
setting  plants,  and  one  can  get  them  perfectly  straight  in 
this  manner,  a  task  not  quite  so  easy  with  the  ordinary 
marker.  It  is  more  convenient,  however,  to  fasten  pieces 
of  rope  around  the  roller,  one  foot  apart,  one  for  each  mark. 
But  the  greatest  advantage  of  this  device  is  that  cross-marks 
can  be  made  at  the  same  time.  Simply  nail  pieces  of  rope 
or  clothes-line  lengthwise  of  the  roller  between  the  ropes 


ROLLEK    MakKEK. 


encircling  it.  The  cross-marks  will  serve  as  a  kind  of  guide 
to  the  planters,  and,  if  they  are  careful,  or  are  held  strictly 
to  the  mark,  they  can  easily  set  the  plants  at  a  uniform  dis- 
tance of  each  other.  If  the  cross-marks  are,  say,  one  foot 
apart,  set  three  Prizetaker  plants  between  each  two  marks, 
and  one  right  in  it. 

In  clean,  mellow  loam  or  muck,  and  with  good  plants, 
the  task  of  setting  the  plants  is  an  easy  one.  Some  of  my 
planters  prefer  to  do  the  job  with  the  fingers  alone,  without 


THE    OLD   AND    THE   NEW. 


49 


using  a  dibber.  But  it  is  bard  on  a  tender  finger,  especially 
on  tbe  index  finger,  tbat  bas  to  puncb  tbe  holes.  Usually, 
it  is  more  convenient  to  make  tbe  boles  witb  a  dibber, 
wbicb  may  be  simply  a  sharpened  stick  of  hard  wood,  with 
or  without  handle,  or  a  dibber  as  illustrated  in   Fig.   19. 

Fig.  19. 


Steel  Dibbek. 


Fig.  20. 


This  is  made  of  a  piece  of  thin  steel,  seven  and  one-half 
inches  long  and  one  and  one-half  inches  wide,  shaped  and 
supplied  with  handle  or  knob,  as  shown. 
The  surface  should  be  finished  off  on  an 
emery  wheel. 

Carefully  pull  the  plants  from  the  seed-bed 
or  flat.  Straighten  them  out  in  bundles  ;  if 
the  fibrous  roots  are  excessively  long  clip  off 
the  ends,  and  also  twist  or  cut  off  part  of 
the  tops  if  they  are  rather  long  and  weak. 
You  can  get  an  idea  about  the  way  this 
should  be  done  by  examining  Fig.  20.  The 
untrimmed  plants,  if  they  are  at  all  long  and 
unwieldy,  are  apt  to  lean  or  fall  over,  as 
illustrated  in  Fig.  21,  especially  if  the 
weather  and  soil  should  be  dry  at  the  time 
of  setting.  The  tops  also  are  liable  to  be 
in  the  way  of  the  wheel-hoe  for  some  time, 
and  the  patch  has  not  that  appearance  of  neatness  found 
where  the  plants  were  properly  trimmed.  As  shown  in 
4 


Trimming  the 
Plants. 


50.  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

Fig.  2  2,  they  should  stand  up  stiff  and  strong,  like  rows  of 
soldiers.  The  plants  thus  prepared  may  be  distributed  along 
the  rows  just  ahead  of  the  planters,  or  the  latter  may  each 

Fig.  21. 


Plants  Untkimmed. 


carry  a  bundle  of  them  as  they  move  along.  If  you  have 
a  number  of  hands  at  this  work,  the  better  plan  is  to  have 
a  boy  attend  to  the  plants  and  their  proper  distribution,  so 


Fig.  22. 


Plants  Trimmed  Before  Setting. 

that  the  planters  are  always  well  provided,  and  will  not  be 
compelled  to  break  into  the  regular  job  for  the  sake  of 
getting  the  needed  plants. 

As  I  have  already  stated,  onion  plants  are  easy  things  to 
transplant,  and  will  live  if  the  job  is  half  done.     But  we 


THE    OLD  AND    THE   NEW. 


51 


desire  to  have  them  regain  their  firm  footing  and  begin  a 
new,  vigorous  growth  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  transfer, 
and  for  this  reason  the  planter  should  not  fail  to  pack  the 
soil  firmly  about  the  roots.  Every  planter,  of  course,  should 
learn  to  perform  the  whole  operation  quickly,  and  expe- 
ditiously, and  every  individual  can  go  at  it  in  his  own  way, 
according  to  his  own  peculiarities,  provided  he  has  nimble 
fingers  and  makes  quick  moves. 

How  deep  should  the  plants  be  set?     I  think  that  we 
should  aim  to  get  the  lower  end  of  the  bulb  one  inch  below 


Fig.  23. 


Setting  the  Plants. 

a,  the  wrong  way. 

b,  the  right  way. 

the  surface  of  the  ground  ;  but  if  it  gets  a  little  deeper  no 
harm  will  result  from  it. 

Youngsters,  if  employed  to  set  out  plants,  will  bear  watch- 
ing until  they  have  learned  how  to  do  the  work  just  right. 
Sometimes  they  get  into  the  habit  of  crowding  the  plants 
into  the  soil  in  such  a  manner  that  the  roots  are  pushed 
upward,  and  the  plants  appear  as  shown  at  a,  in  Fig.  23, 
while  the  roots  should  be  inserted  as  far  as  possible  down- 
ward, as  shown  at  b. 

A  word  more  in  regard  to  growing  onions  on  the  new 


52  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

plan  in  the  Southern  States.  Let  me  quote  from  a  recent 
bulletin  of  the  North  Carolina  Agricultural  Experiment 
Station  (by  Prof.  W.  F.  Massey),  as  follows:  — 

'*  There  are  two  w^ays  in  which  the  transplanting  method 
may  be  practiced  in  the  South:  (i)  by  sowing  the  seed  in 
a  plant-bed  in  October  and  transplanting  to  their  perma- 
nent place  in  February;  (2)  by  sowing  the  seed  in  a  cold 
frame  under  glass  in  January  and  transplanting  in  February, 
after  gradually  hardening  them  to  the  air.  The  Italian 
and  Spanish  varieties  we  consider  the  best  for  our  purposes. 
The  transplanting  of  onions  in  a  young,  growing  state 
always  results  in  a  great  increase  in  size.  Why  it  does  so 
we  cannot  explain,  but  the  fact  is  evident.  We  think  it 
probable  that  the  practice  of  sowing  the  seed  early  in  Oc- 
tober, on  well-prepared  beds  of  light  soil,  and  then  trans- 
planting them  in  February  or  March  to  the  land  from 
which  the  celery  crop  has  just  been  taken,  will  finally  be 
the  rule  with  us,  as  the  sowing  under  glass  in  January 
involves  more  skill,  trouble,  and  expense." 


VI. 

THE  WORK  THICKENS. 

A  HARD  FIGHT  WITH  WEEDS. 

WAR  TO  THE  KNIFE. — PROMPTNESS  REQUIRED. — HAND-WHEEL  HOES. — 
HAND-WEEDING  THE  CHIEF  EXPENSE. — WEEDING  IMPLEMENTS — 
THINNING.— HOES   AND   HOEING. — BREAKING  DOWN  THE  TOPS. 

Whatever  method  of  growing  onions  you  employ,  the 
fight  against  weeds  should  be  begun  promptly  and  carried 
to  a  finish.  This  means  war  to  the  knife.  The  frequent 
stirring  of  the  surface  soil  between  the  rows  and  about  the 
plants  which  it  involves  incidentally  furnishes  one  of  the 
best  means  of  protection  against  drought. 

Hand-weeding  is  a  tedious  and  expensive  job.  We  do  not 
desire  to  have  more  of  it  to  do  than  is  absolutely  necessary. 
Promptness  in  the  use  of  the  wheel  hoe,  and  in  that  of  the 
hand-weeder,  will  take  the  sting  out  of  the  task.  Neglect 
a  patch  once,  and  let  it  grow  up  in  weeds,  and  the  best 
thing  you  can  do  is  to  give  it  up  as  a  bad  job.  To  redeem 
such  a  patch  would  probably  cost  more  than  the  whole 
crop  would  be  worth  in  the  end.  Under  no  consideration 
should  an  onion  field  ever  be  allowed  to  assume  a  weedy 
appearance. 

Wheel  Hoes. 
The  first  thing  we  need  is  a  good  hand-wheel  hoe.  There 
are  a  number  of  them  in  the  market  that  do  first-rate  work, 
and  may  be  relied  upon.  I  like  the  Planet,  Jr.  as  well  as 
any  other,  and  for  a  large  field  the  double-wheel  hoe  is  the 
most  necessary  and  convenient,  although  it  is  well  to  have 
a  single-wheel  hoe,  too.     Some  people  like  the  Gem  of  the 

53 


54 


ONIONS  FOR  PROFIT. 


Garden.  For  cultivating  among  onions  and  other  closely 
planted  stuff  in  the  earlier  j^art  of  the  season  I  ordinarily 
use  a  Gregory's  finger-weeder,  which,  with  a  little  practice, 
does  excellent  work.     It  has  four  knives,  or  weeding  blades, 


Fig.  24. 


Double-Wheel  Hoh. 


two  in  front,  which  can  be  set  narrower  or  wider,  at  will, 
instantaneously  by  a  simple  twist  of  the  operator's  hands, 
and  made  to  cut  close  to  the  row,  or  even  into  it,  to  remove 
a  stray  weed,  and  two  stationary  blades  a  little  further  back. 


THE   WORK   THICKENS.  55 

For  the  earlier  cultivatings  we  want  one  or  the  other  of 
tliese  double-wheel  hoes.  They  straddle  the  row,  and  allow 
the  operator  to  direct  all  his  attention  upon  a  single  row. 
The  single-wheel  hoes,  among  them  the  Planet,  Jr.,  and 
Ruhlman's,  which  latter  is  also  a  serviceable  implement, 
come  handy  after  the  onions  are  half  grown. 

No  man  can  hope  to  be  successful  in  commercial  onion- 
growing  without  being  well  equipped  with  these  imple- 
ments, or  without  using  them,  less  as  weed  slayers,  as  they 
have  sometimes  been  called,  but  rather  as  preventives 
against  Aveeds. 

Fig.  2s. 


Single-Wheel  Hoe. 

The  fight  should  begin  before  weeds  can  be  seen.  The 
drill  roller,  which  firms  the  soil  after  the  seed  has  been 
deposited  in  the  ground,  leaves  a  mark  indicating  the  exact 
location  of  the  row  as  plainly  as  can  be  desired.  There  is 
no  need  of  waiting  until  the  plants  are  up.  A  week  or  ten 
days  after  the  seed  is  sown  by  the  old  method,  or  imme- 
diately after  the  plants  have  been  set  by  the  new  system, 
the  wheel  hoe  should  be  started.  Do  the  work  thoroughly, 
letting  the  cutting  blades  go  as  close  to  the  rows  as  is  safe, 


56  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

This  is  easy  and  quick  work.  Any  strong,  half-grown  boy 
can  go  over  an  acre  in  a  day  in  this  way,  and  we  can 
therefore  well  afford  to  thus  stir  the  soil  between  the  rows 
pretty  frequently. 

In  fact,  this  is  necessary.  We  have  frequent  rains  thus 
early  in  the  season  which  pack  the  soil  and  result  in  the 
formation  of  a  crust  over  it.  This  must  be  broken  as  often 
as  it  forms,  in  order  to  admit  air  to  the  roots  of  the  plants, 
and  also  to  form  a  sort  of  soil  mulch  over  the  surface, 
which  is  very  serviceable  in  preserving  soil  moisture  should 
a  dry  spell  follow.  The  rule  is,  therefore,  to  start  the 
wheel  hoe  just  as  soon  after  a  rain  as  the  surface  of  the 
ground  is  dry  enough  to  be  easily  pulverized.  Besides  this, 
repeat  the  operation  as  often  as  possible  in  dry  spells.  I  do 
not  believe  that  you  can  overdo  the  matter. 

Hand  Weeding. 

Next  comes  hand  weeding.  This  usually  involves  the 
greatest  expense  in  the  production  of  an  onion  crop,  and 
is  the  chief  trouble  we  meet  in  the  undertaking.  The  new 
method,  however,  requires  a  great  deal  less  of  this  expen- 
sive and  tedious  labor  on  hands  and  knees.  This  is  an 
advantage  that  offsets  more  than  fully  the  labor  required  in 
transplanting. 

Half-grown  boys  are  well  suited  to  do  the  work  of  hand 
weeding,  if  you  can  keep  them  under  strict  surveillance 
and  steadily  at  work.  Each  one  is  provided  with  some 
sort  of  weeding  implement,  and  works  on  hands  and  knees 
while  straddling  his  row.  Teach  them  to  keep  their  feet 
nicely  between  the  rows. 

In  loose,  mucky,  or  sandy  soil  the  work  can  be  done 
entirely  with  the  fingers,  but  I  should  prefer  a  Lang  hand- 
weeder  even  then.  There  are  quite  a  number  of  tools  that 
may  be  used  for  this  purpose.     I  show  some  of  them  in  Fig. 


THE    WORK  THICKENS. 


57 


26.  An  ordinary  iron  spoon,  shown  at  a,  such  as  you  can  buy 
at  the  nearest  hardware  store  for  five  cents,  does  very  well. 
If  you  have  a  metal -handled  table  knife,  with  point  broken 
off,  bend  the  blade  in  a  curve  and  sharpen  both  sides  (see  ^), 
and  you  can  use  it  as  a  weeder.  Or  you  may  take  a  section 
of  an  old  mowing-machine  knife  (see  c)  or  a  piece  of  iron 
hoop  (see  ^),  and  fasten  it  to  a  short  handle.  At  e  you 
see  the  Lang  weeder,  and  at  /  the  Hazeltine,  either  of 
which  can  be  purchased  at  small  cost  at  any  seed  store. 
Whatever  tool  you  have,  use  it  to  scrape  the  surface  of  the 

Fig.  26. 


Weeders. 


ground,  with  all  the  tiny  weeds  or  sprouting  weed  seeds  it 
may  contain,  away  from  the  onion  rows.  Hilling  is  not 
required  or  allowable.  Always  let  the  wheel  hoe  do  its 
work  just  ahead  of  the  weeders.  It  will  lighten  the  job. 
In  Fig.  27  I  show  the  use  of  Lang's  hand-weeder,  and  in 
Fig.  28  that  of  a  table  knife,  fixed  as  already  stated.  These 
are  my  favorite  tools  for  this  work.  Other  growers  may 
follow  their  own  preferences. 

If  the  grower  has  used  seed  enough  to  secure  a  full  stand 
some  of  the  plants  will  most  likely  grow  pretty  thickly  in 


58 


ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 


the  rows.  It  is  true,  as  said  before,  that  onions  bear  con- 
siderable crowding.  Yet  this  should  not  be  overdone.  I 
believe  in  judicious  thinning  ;  and  there  are  often  so  many 

Fig.  27, 


^^-s 


Lang's  Weeder  in  Use. 


plants  that  thinning  is  absolutely  needed  to  prevent  an  un- 
reasonably large  number  of  the  onions  being  too  small  to 
sell  well.     At'^the  second  weeding,  therefore,  I  have  plants 


Fig.   28. 


Table  Knife  as  Weeder. 


pulled  up  where  they  stand  closer  together  than  one  to  the 
inch  of  row.  Better  do  this,  and  secure  a  more  uniform 
and  good  size  of  the  bulbs. 


THE    WORK   THICKENS.  59 

Hand  weeding  among  onions  grown  by  the  new  method 
is  not  quite  so  formidable.  The  transplanted  onions  have 
the  start  of  the  weeds  from  the  very  beginning,  and  they 
stand  so  uniformly,  and  comparatively  wide  apart,  that  a 
good  share  of  the  weeding  can  be  done  in  a  standing  posi- 
tion, and  by  the  use  of  specially  prepared  hoes,  instead  of 
on  hands  and  knees.  In  Fig.  29  may  be  seen  the  kind  of 
hoes  I  use  and  like.  The  one  shown  at  ^  I  find  most  ser- 
viceable in  working  among  the  onions  in  the  row.  It  is 
made  by  cutting  off  the  sides  of  the  blade  of  a  worn-out 

Fk;.  29. 


Hoes  for  Onion  Weeding. 

ordinary  hoe,  such  as  may  be  found  on  almost  any  place. 
At  b  you  see  another  way  of  making  a  really  good  and  ser- 
viceable tool  out  of  a  useless  thing,  such  as  these  dull  old 
hoes  usually  prove  to  be.  At  c  is  shown  a  weeding  tool 
made  by  fastening  the  blade  of  a  Hazeltine  w^eder  to 
a  hoe  handle.  The  hoe,  d,  is  simply  a  piece  of  iron  hoop 
bent  as  shown,  and  fastened  to  a  handle. 

Whatever  tools  of  this  kind  you  may  have,  use  them  per- 
sistently enough  to  keep  down  all  weed  growth.  As  the 
onions  are  nearing  their  full  size,  they  may  form  such  a 
mat  over  the  ground  that  wheel  hoes  cannot  be  used  any 


60  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

longer.  Yet  weed  growth  will  not  stop.  The  small  weeds 
are  not  apt  to  give  much  trouble  at  that  time,  but  the 
coarser  kinds,  and  those  favored  by  hot  weather,  like  purs- 
lane, will  now  try  to  take  possession  of  the  ground.  Purs- 
lane in  these  rich  grounds  grows  rapidly,  and  may  com- 
pletely hide  the  soil  before  you  are  hardly  aware  of  it.  This 
is  the  time  for  fighting  weeds  with  hand  hoes.  Just  walk 
through  the  onions  carefully  backward  and  draw  the  hoe 
along  over  the  ground  between  the  rows,  cutting  off  the 
weeds  or  pulling  them  out.  Purslane  should,  if  possible, 
be  gathered  up  and  taken  out  of  the  patch.  By  all  means, 
keep  the  ground  clean. 

Rolling  Down  the  Tops. 
I  have  never  seen  any  good  resulting  from  the  practice 
of  breaking  down  the  tops  of  onions  for  the  sake  of  hasten- 
ing their  ripening.  Well-grown  onions  will  ripen  up  all 
right  in  due  season,  and  if  some  specimens,  owing  to  mis- 
management, or  for  reasons  of  their  own,  are  bound  to 
make  scallions,  they  will  do  so,  even  if  you  roll  down  the 
tops. 


VII. 

IRRIGATION  AND  CULTIVATION. 

AS   MEANS   OF  FIGHTING  DROUGHT. 

A  SOIL  MULCH. — MUCKY  COMPOST  AND  WOOD-ASHES. — SUB- EARTH 
SOAKING. — SURFACE  IRRIGATION. — BOX-DITCH. — SUB-IRRIGATION 
BY  TILE. — IRRIGATION   BY  WATER  PUMPED   INTO   TANKS. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  think  that  cultivation  is  merely  a 
means  of  checking  or  destroying  weeds.  In  reality  this  is 
only  an  incidental  benefit.  We  stir  the  soil  chiefly  for  the 
purpose  of  (i)  helping  plant  growth  by  admitting  air  to 
the  soil,  thus  promoting  chemical  changes  which  fit  plant 
foods  for  ready  assimilation  by  plant  roots,  and  (2)  pre- 
venting the  rapid  evaporation  of  the  soil  water.  Cultiva- 
tion gives  us  an  easy  way  of  providing  a  soil-mulch  through 
which  the  water  does  not  readily  pass  upward.  Weeds 
are  simply  a  manifestation  of  Nature's  kindness  to  man. 
They  force  him  to  stir  the  soil  when,  otherwise,  he  would  be 
apt  to  neglect  it,  letting  his  plants  suffer  for  want  of  food 
and  water,  and  suffering  pecuniary  loss  himself.  I  cannot, 
therefore,  consider  weeds  a  curse.  They  do  their  share  of 
good  as  a  reminder  and  spur  to  the  flagging  grower,  and 
perhaps  as  much  as  they  do  harm.  At  least  they  are  a 
necessary  evil. 

Preventing  Injury  by  Drought. 
In  localities  with  fairly  regular  rainfall  the  grower  can 
usually  succeed  in  growing  good  onion  crops  without  arti- 
ficial irrigation,  if  he  plants  on  retentive  soil  which  rests 
on  porous  sub-soil,  and  practices  the  thorough  cultivation 

61 


62  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

recommended  in  preceding  chapter,  as  means  of  carrying 
'  his  crop  unharmed  through  the  dry  spells  of  longer  or 
shorter  duration  liable  to  occur  in  any  year.  The  heavy 
applications  of  compost,  especially  if  muck  (used  as  absorb- 
ing material)  is  one  of  its  constituents,  and  perhaps  of  wood- 
ashes,  also  aid  in  the  retention  of  moisture. 

Means  of  Irrigation. 

In  some  localities,  however,  artificial  irrigation  is  abso- 
lutely required  to  insure  success ;  and  almost  anywhere  it 
is  a  good  thing  to  have  as  an  additional  safeguard  against 
possible  failurCi 

Wherever  there  is  a  never-failing  supply  of  water — a 
stream,  a  pond,  a  canal — near  the  field  and  higher  than  its 
level,  or  one  that  can  be  easily  raised  to  the  ground  level, 
it  will  pay  the  grower  well  to  utilize  it  for  irrigation,  even 
if  the  first  expense  of  plant,  piping,  etc.,  should  be  consider- 
able. In  the  selection  of  onion  ground  I  would  always 
prefer  a  piece  that  could  be  easily  brought  under  irrigation. 
Soil  of  a  sandy  character,  sandy  loam,  or  sandy  muck  is  best 
fitted  for  the  purpose.  Clay  soils  are  suitable  only  when 
they  contain,  and  are  made  porous  by,  an  abundance  of 
humus. 

A  simple  and  effective  method  of  irrigation  is  the  one  in 
use  on  Mr.  John  F.  White's  place  near  Morris,  N.  Y.  At 
the  foot  of  a  hill,  and  slightly  sloping  away  from  it,  is  a 
tract  of  deep,  rich,  sandy  muck.  A  little  brook,  flowing 
down  the  hillside,  furnishes  a  small  but  never-failing  water 
supply.  This  can  be  turned  into  a  deep  ditch,  dug  just  at 
the  foot  of  the  hill  on  a  dead  level,  and  forming  the  head 
of  the  lowlands.  Another  ditch,  parallel  with  the  other, 
forms  the  boundary  on  the  lower  side,  and  the  two  ditches 
are  connected  by  a  number  of  parallel  cross-ditches  as 
shown  in  Fig.   30.     All  these  ditches  are  provided  with 


IRRIGATION  AND   CULTIVATION. 


63 


flood-gates  to  dam  up  the  water  when  required.  Ordinarily 
these  flood-gates,  except  the  one  at  b,  are  raised,  and  the  water 
flows  along  in  its  natural  course  unobstructed.  But  when 
the  soil  begins  to  get  dry,  and  shows  the  need  of  water, 
the  mountain  brook  is  turned  into  the  head  ditch  at  b,  and 
the  latter  filled  to  overflowing.  This  alone  will  give  the 
whole  strip  next  to  the  head  ditch  (i  1 1 1),  a  number  of  rods 
in  width,  a  pretty  good  soaking  in  a  comparatively  short 

Fig.  30. 


H;|-.L;Ur:SM-DE-,,- 


ipliliiiii'iiiiiiSli^ 


Plan  of  Field  Under  Irrigation. 


time.  Then  by  opening  the  flood-gates  at  the  head  of 
the  cross-ditches  the  water  is  turned  into  the  latter, 
allowed  to  rise  to  the  top  at  the  next  set  of  flood-gates, 
and  by  overflow  and  by  soaking  in,  well  distributed  over 
another  strip  parallel  with  the  head  ditch  (2222).  Then 
these  flood-gates  are  again  raised,  and  the  water  allowed  to 
flow  into  the  next  section  of  the  ditches,  and  so  forth, 
until  the  entire  area  has  been  well  soaked.  Just  as  soon  as 
the  surface  has  again  become  dry  enough  for  cultivation, 
the  ground  should  at  once  be  stirred  by  means  of  the 
wheel-hoe. 

The  opportunities  and  soil  conditions  are  not  often  so 


64 


ONIONS   FOR   PROFIT. 


favorable  for  irrigation  as  in  this  case.  When  the  soil 
does  not  let  the  water  pass  through  readily,  we  have  to 
employ  other  methods  of  distributing  it  over  the  surface. 
The  simplest  way,  probably,  is  to  conduct  the  water  to  the 
highest  part  of  the  patch,  and  then  let  it  run  down  a 
slight  slope,  in  little  depressions  made  with  a  hand-plow  at 
regular  distances  of  6,  8,  or  more  feet  apart,  according  to 
the- porosity  of  the  soil.  A  vacant  row  must  be  left  for  the 
water  course. 

The  water  supply  may  be  brought  to  the  highest  part  of 
the  patch  in  a  kind  of  box-ditch,  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  31. 


Fig, 


Irrigation  from   Box- ditch 


Another  good  way  of  distributing  the  water  from  a 
higher  source  of  supply  is  by  means  of  lines  of  two-inch 
tile  laid  on  a  slight  slope,  ten  or  twelve  inches  deep. 
There  is  no  need  of  providing  an  outlet,  except  it  be  for 
the  sake  of  drainage  in  case  of  heavy  rains.  Place  the 
tiles  in  each  line  closely  together.  The  water  will  find  its 
way  out  at  the  joints,  and  penetrate  the  soil  on  each  side 
to  a  greater  or  lesser  distance  according  to  the  porosity  of 
the  soil.  This  latter  point  also  determines  the  question  of 
what  is  the  proper  width  between  the  lines  of  tile.     In 


IRRIGATION  AND   CULTIVATION.  65 

some  soils,  like  sandy  loam  or  muck,  they  may  be  ten  or 
twelve,  or  even  more,  feet  apart;  in  clayey  soils  it  may  be 
necessary  to  place  them  as  near  as  four  or  five  feet  apart. 

Whenever  a  water  supply,  such  as  mentioned,  is  not  at 
command,  it  may  perhaps  be  obtained  by  letting  a  wind- 
mill or  steam  pump  raise  it  from  a  pond,  stream,  or  well 
into  large  tanks,  from  which  it  is  to  be  distributed  over 
the  field  by  means  of  hose  alone,  or  by  a  combination  of 
iron  pipe  and  hose,  or  in  other  w^ays  that  may  suggest 
themselves  to  the  intelligent  grower. 

Fig.  32. 


'I  U  \i  (-1    i/il' 


■if. 


Sub  irrigation  by  Tile. 

Now  a  word  of  warning'  With  an  unlimited  amount  of 
water  available  for  irrigating  purposes  there  is  great  danger 
that  a  good  thing  will  be  overdone.  Onions  are  easily 
and  often  permanently  injured  by  an  over-supply  of  water. 
The  latter  causes  an  excessively  rank  growth  and  thick 
clumsy  tops,  which  will  not  permit  the  bulb  to  mature  and 
cap  over  well.  Do  not  let  the  water  into  the  patch  oftener 
than  when  absolutely  needed,  and  then  only  enough  to 
moisten,  not  to  soak,  the  soil.  Great  caution  and  the 
exercise  of  good  judgment  are  required  to  keep  to  the 
proper  medium. 
5 


VIII. 

ENEMIES  OF  THE  CROP. 
INSECTS  AND   DISEASES,  AND    HOW  TO   FIGHT  THEM. 

ONION   MAGGOTS. — WHITE   GRUB. — WIRE-WORM.  — ONION  RUST. — ONION 

SMUT. 

I  have  been  growing  onions  for  many  years,  but  I  do  not 
believe  I  have  ever  lost  one  half  of  one  per  cent,  of  the  crop 
by  the  interference  of  the  onion  maggot,  which  proves  so 
destructive  to  onions  in  many  localities.  It  was  only  now 
and  then  that  I  found  a  single  solitary  maggot.  Whether 
this  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  maggots  which  attack  the 
onions,  cabbage,  radish,  and  similar  vegetables,  are  the 
larvae  of  one  and  the  same  species  of  fly,  which  for  oviposi- 
tion  takes  radishes  as  first  choice,  cabbages  next,  and 
onions  only  when  the  other  plants  are  not  to  be  had  close 
by,  and  that  I  invariably  plant  radishes  and  cabbages  in 
closest  proximity  to  the  onion  patch,  I  am  unable  to  say. 
I  may  state,  however,  that  I  cannot  discover  distinctive 
differences  between  the  maggots  or  flies  which  affect  the 
onion,  radish,  and  cabbage  respectively,  and  that  there  are 
always  plenty  of  these  unwelcome  visitors  on  my  radishes 
and  cabbages.  Fig.  ^^  shows  the  eggs  (a),  the  larva  at 
work  (/5),  and  the  adult  considerably  magnified  (<:). 

Prevention  is  much  better  and  easier  than  cure.  The 
best  thing  that  can  be  done  is  to  remove  the  plantation  to 
a  new  plot,  as  far  away  as  possible,  each  year,  or  at  least 
every  other  year.  It  is  also  recommended  to  puddle  the 
plants,  when  transplanting  in  the  new  way,  in  a  puddle  to 
which  sulphur  has  been  added,  and  to  s'prinkle  sulphur 
about  the  plants  after  they  are  set. 

CG 


ENEMIES   OF   THE    CROP. 


67 


All  affected  plants  should  be  removed  and  burned  as 
soon  as  discovered.  Caustic  lime  water,  especially  if 
made  with  liquid  manure  instead  of  clear  water,  seems  to 
be  a  safe  remedy,  but  it  will  require  too  large  a  quantity  to 
be  of  much  practical  usefulness  on  an  extensive  scale. 
Slake  a  peck  of  fresh  lime  in  one  hundred  gallons  of 
liquid,  let  settle,  draw  off,  leaving  the  settlings  undisturbed, 

Fig.  33- 


Onion  Maggot. 

and  pour  the  liquid  about  the  plants  freely  enough  so  that 
it  will  soak  down  to  the  place  where  the  maggot  is  feeding. 
Every  larva  touched  by  this  lime  water  will  die.  Instead 
of  this  remedy  we  can  use  solutions  of  muriate  of  potash, 
one  tablespoonful  to  the  gallon  of  water,  or  of  kainit,  two 
tablespoon fuls  to  the  gallon.  Plants  once  eaten  into 
usually  rot  and  die,  and  for  this  reason  the  remedy  is 
not  as  satisfactory  as  might  be  desired.  H.  A.  March 
of  Washington  sprinkles  crude  sulphur,  which  smells  very 
strong,  over  his  cauliflower  plants,  and  says  it   seems   to 


68  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

drive  the  fly  away.  This  simple  precaution  might  be  tried 
also  in  the  onion  patch.  If  it  drives  the  fly  away  from 
the  one  crop,  it  will  undoubtedly  do  the  same  service  to 
the  other. 

At  various  times  I  have  observed  white  grubs,  as  also 
wire-worms,  etc.,  feeding  at  the  roots  of  the  onion  plants 
when  approaching  maturity.  I  thi-nk  they  must  do  con- 
siderable damage  by  checking  growth,  and  thus  decreasing 
the  yield.  Try  to  get  ground  that  is  free  from  these  pests, 
or  to  get  rid  of  them  by  fall  plowing.  Earth-worms, 
wherever  troublesome,  may  be  disposed  of  by  free  applica- 
tions of  lime  or  lime  water  as  used  for  the  maggot. 
Potash  salts  will  probably  have  a  good  effect  in  ridding  the 
soil  of  earth-worms,  etc.,  also. 

There  may  be  other  insect  enemies,  mostly  very  minute 
— lice,  thrips,  or  mites  ;  at  least  I  have  heard  many  com- 
plaints about  them,  without  ever  being  able  to  find  any 
such  insects  on  my  onions.  Rotation,  as  for  the  onion 
maggot,  is  probably  the  surest  means  of  prevention.  I 
can  suggest  no  cure. 

Diseases. 

Among  fungous  diseases  affecting  the  crop  we  have 
two,  the  onion  rust  {^Peronospera  Schleideniana,  Unger), 
and  the  smut  {Urocystis  cepulce.  Frost).  The  former 
affects  the  leaves  when  the  onion  is  beginning  to  bottom, 
or  later,  making  them  turn  yellow,  and  ending  in  their 
decay.  It  checks  the  further  growth  of  the  bulb.  Pull 
the  crop  when  seriously  affected ;  cure  the  bulbs  thoroughly, 
and  put  them  on  the  market  at  once.  As  this  can  be 
done  quite  early  in  the  season,  good  prices  are  often 
obtained. 

I  have  tried  spraying  with  various  fungicides,  but  with- 
out being  able  to  check  the  progress  of  the  disease  after  it 


ENEiVIES   OF   THE    CROP.  69 

had  once  made  its  appearance.  Changing  the  location  of 
the  patch  to  a  new  plot  is  probably  the  safest  plan  of 
fighting  the  rust.  By  practicing  the  "  new  onion  culture," 
however,  we  have  it  in  our  power  to  prevent  this  disease 
altogether,  or  at  least  a  serious  attack  by  it.  The  earlier 
varieties,  White  Victoria,  Yellow  Dutch,  and  other 
ordinary  standard  sorts  reach  their  full  size  and  maturity 
long  before  the  advent  of  the  rust,  and  even  the  later 
foreign  onions  usually  are  too  far  advanced  to  be  much 
harmed  by  it. 

The  smut,  according  to  Prof.  Bailey,  attacks  the  first 
leaf  or  leaves  of  seedling  onions,  producing  dark,  irreg- 
ular spots,  and  killing  or  weakening  the  plants.  Drill  a 
mixture  of  sulphur  and  lime,  equal  parts,  into  the  ground 
with  the  seed  ;  about  an  ounce  of  the  mixture  to  50  feet 
of  drill,  as  a  preventive. 


IX. 

THE  HARVEST. 
GATHERING  AND  TAKING  CARE  OF  THE  CROP. 

PULLING  IN  TIME. — CURING  OUTDOORS. — KEEP  DRY, — CURING  ON  RARN 
FLOOR  OR  UNDER  SHEDS. — ONION  CURING  SHED. 

When  the  tops  turn  yellow  and  begin  to  die,  the  crop  is 
ready  to  be  harvested.  Be  prompt.  It  is  usually  safer  to 
pull  the  onions  a  few  days  too  early,  than  too  late.  Do  not 
wait  until  eveiy  onion  in  the  patch  is  dead  and  all  the 
tops  have  died  down.  Onions  always  ripen  up  unevenly, 
and  many  specimens,  at  the  proper  time  of  harvesting,  will 
be  quite  green.  This  should  give  the  grower  no  concern. 
If  the  bulb  is  good,  the  green  top  will  soon  dry  and 
dwindle  away.  The  danger  lies  in  the  tendency  of  the 
ripe  bulbs  to  commence  a  second  growth,  if  left  too  long 
in  the  ground,  especially  in  a  wet  season.  The  onion 
should  be  kept  perfectly  dormant.  New  growth  soon  spoils 
it.  One  of  the  greatest  advantages  of  the  "new  onion 
culture"  is  the  early  ripening  of  the  crop,  which  brings  the 
time  of  harvesting  and  curing  into  midsummer  or  early  fall, 
when  warm,  dry  days  favor  the  proper  curing.  To  get  a 
part  of  the  crop  into  an  extra  early  and  willing  market,  we 
may  even  begin  pulling  the  onions  before  they  are  fully 
matured.  Sometimes  we  can  make  more  money  thereby 
than  by  waiting  for  more  growth  and  maturity. 

Pulling  the  Crop. 
The  work  itself  offers  no  difficulties.     The  smallest  boys 
may  be  employed  in  "  pulling  ' '  the  crop.     It  is  quick  work, 

70 


TIJE  HARVEST.  71 

too,  especially  when  the  onions  were  grown  on  the  new 
plan,  and  are  all  uniformly  large  and  regular.  Each  boy 
(or  grown  person)  may  take  three  or  four  rows,  pulling  the 
onions  up  by  taking  hold  of  each  bulb  itself,  pushing  or 
pulling  it  over  (not  by  the  top  unless  that  happens  to  be 
large  and  strong),  and  then  leaving  all  the  onions  pretty 
much  in  a  windrow  along  one  side. 

Here  they  are  left  until  fully  cured,  which  in  warm  and 
dry  weather  may  require  a  week's  time  or  longer.  If  wanted 
for  immediate  use,  or  to  meet  a  present  lively  demand  at 
extra  prices,  there  would  be  no  need  of  waiting  for  them 
to  cure  perfectly.  Each  grower  must  be  guided  by  circum- 
stances, and  his  own  good  judgment  in  this  matter.  Under 
ordinary  atmospheric  conditions  it  is  perfectly  safe  to  cure 
the  onions  outdoors.  It  is  the  cheapest  and  least  laborious 
method.  The  short  rains  which  we  are  liable  to  have  occa- 
sionally, during  summer  and  early  autumn,  will  do  no 
harm.  The  bulbs  soon  dry  again.  If  there  should  be  a 
long  rainy  spell,  you  may  turn  the  onions  occasionally, 
either  by  hand,  or  better,  with  a  wooden  rake  or  fork. 

Gathering  for  Storage. 
Be  sure  that  the  onions  are  perfectly  dry  on  the  outside, 
when  you  gather  them  for  storage.  Pick  them  up  into 
bushel  crates  or  baskets,  and  spread  them  upon  the 
barn  floor  or  a  dry  loft.  Do  not  let  them  stand  for  days 
together  in  barrels,  or  even  in  crates  and  baskets.  The 
bulbs  may  appear  entirely  dry,  and  yet  they  will  sweat  and 
sprout,  causing  loss  and  trouble  to  the  grower.  If  well 
cured  and  dry,  you  can  put  them  upon  a  dry,  airy  floor  a 
foot  or  more  deep  without  danger.  But  the  sooner  you 
go  at  them,  and  twist  or  cut  off  the  remnants  of  top  and 
root,  the  better  it  will  be.  Then  you  are  safe  in  storing 
the  onions  in  slatted  crates  or  ventilated  barrels  on  the 
barn  floor  or  under  a  dry  shed. 


72  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

People  who  grow  onions  by  acres  will  need  considerable 
storage  room,  and  may  find  it  necessary  to  put  up  special 
curing  sheds  or  cribs.  These  can  be  arranged  somewhat 
on  the  plan  of  the  curing  shed  shown  in  Fig.  34. 

This  is  built  like  a  double  corn-crib.  Ordinary  rough 
posts,  firmly  set  into  the  ground,  may  serve  as  fiame. 
Divide  the  storage  rooms  on  each  side  into  shelves,  so  that 
you  can  get  the  largest  possible  quantity  spread  out  in 
layers  not  over  twelve  or  eighteen  inches  deep,  with  plenty 
of  air  circulating  through  and  between  the  layers.     There 

Fig.  34. 


<^„- 


Onion  Curing  Shku. 

should  be  a  driveway  clear  through  the  centre  of  the  shed 
lengthwise.  This  will  facilitate  unloading,  and  loading 
again  when  required. 

To  be  on  the  safe  side,  the  crop  should  be  gathered  and 
housed  just  as  soon  as  it  is  in  proper  condition.  Not  a  day 
should  be  lost  after  the  bulbs  are  well  cured  and  dry. 
When  it  gets  to  be  late  in  the  season,  and  a  long  wet  spell 
is  threatening,  we  had  better  house  the  crop  anyway,  and 
depend  on  its  curing  in  thin  layers  on  a  dry  barn  or  shed 
floor. 


X. 

THE  REWARD. 
MARKETING  AND   STORING. 

THE  EARLY  MARKET.— VENTILATED  BARRELS. — HOME-MADE  ONION 
SORTER. — ONION  CRATES. — DOMESTIC  SPANISH  ONIONS. — WINTER- 
ING ONIONS  FOR  SPRING  SALE. — STORAGE  HOUSES. — PITS.— ESTI- 
MATES   OF   COST   AND    PROFIT. 

My  own  inflexible  rule  is  to  sell  the  crop,  after  it  is  ready, 
at  the  first  opportunity  I  have  to  get  a  fair  price  for  it. 
In  fact  I  aim  to  have  it  early,  in  order  to  sell  it  early.  I 
find  less  competition,  and  therefore  better  prices,  in  market 
during  August  than  I  do  during  September,  and  less  com- 
petition with  better  prices  during  September  than  during 
October  or  November.  Besides  the  crop  is  a  perishable 
one,  and  there  is  constant  shrinkage,  waste,  and  loss. 
The  sooner  you  are  rid  of  it  and  have  the  money  for  it 
safely  in  your  pockets,  the  sooner  you  are  relieved  of  the 
troublesome  task  of  caring  for  a  perishable  article,  and  the 
better  you  are  off.  This  advice  is  meant  especially  for  the 
less  experienced  onion  grower. 

In  the  great  onion  districts  of  the  east  the  crop  is  a 
staple  article,  and  sells  readily  to  regular  wholesale  buyers 
in  the  same  way  as  potatoes  are  being  sold  in  the  great 
potato  districts — by  the  car  load.  Buyers  always  go  to  the 
centres  of  production,  and  there  we  usually  find  the  best, 
because  most  willing  and  ready  market. 

Local  and  General  Markets. 
The  isolated  grower  away  from  these  centres,  no  matter 
whether  he  grows  on  a  large  scale  or  a  small  one,  has  to 


74 


ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 


hunt  np  buyers  for  his  onion  crop.  In  the  first  place  he 
should  try  to  satisfy  the  local  demand.  Inferior,  imper- 
fectly ripened,  or  thick-necked  bulbs  may  often  be  disposed 
of  to  the  neighbors  for  immediate  use  at  half  price  or 
less.  Get  something  for  them ;  they  are  of  no  use  otherwise. 
I  have  never  found  any  difficulty  in  selling  my  earliest 
onions  at  a  fair  price,  no  matter  in  what  packages  they  were 
put  up.  Sometimes  I  have  sold  them  from  the  wagon  to 
grocerymen  in  Niagara  Falls;  ordinarily  I  ship  to  Buffalo. 
A  few  extra-early  white  onions  I  often  ship  in  ten-quart 

Fig.   35. 


Ventilated  Barrel. 


or  half-bushel  (peach)  baskets.  These  baskets  are  cheap, 
and  make  a  handy  and  popular  package.  Ordinary  stand- 
ard onions  are  shipped  in  barrels.  The  ventilated  barrels, 
of  various  styles,  such  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  35  and  com- 
monly used  for  shipping  vegetables,  would  be  excellent  for 
shipping  onions.  Of  course,  we  cannot  afford  to  buy 
new  barrels  for  this  purpose.  I  get  my  supply  of  barrels 
from  my  grocers,  who  sell  their  old  cracker  and  sugar 
barrels  at  ten  cents  apiece.  In  place  of  the  regular  head 
I  use  a  piece  of  old  canvas. 

Uniformity  of   size  greatly  improves  a  lot  of    onions, 


THE   REWARD,  75 

and  I  believe  that  careful  sorting  will  pay  well.  Each  size 
or  grade  should  be  put  in  a  package  by  itself.  A  device 
for  sorting,  such  as  is  illustrated  in  Fig.  2,^,  is  easily  made 
out  of  a  few  scantlings,  slats,  and  boards.  The  picture 
makes  the  arrangement  plain  enough,  and  further  descrip- 
tion will  not  be  needed. 

Fig.   36. 


Home-Made  Onion   Sorter. 

The  larger  sizes  of  the  Prizetaker  onion  I  have  for 
several  seasons  put  up  and  marketed  in  the  manner  shown 
in  Fig.  37.  The  crate  is  patterned  after  the  crate  in 
which  the  Spanish  and  Bermuda  onions  are  imported  to 
our  markets.  The  slats  are  19)^  inches  long,  and  the  end 
pieces  19}^  by  7  inches.  The  crate  holds  plump  three 
pecks.  In  the  earlier  part  of  the  season  they  have  sold 
well  at  from  $1.00  to  $1.25  each.  These  crates  can 
be  had,  in  the  flat,  at  12  to  15  cents  apiece. 

The  Spanish  Onion  in  Market. 
In  some  local  markets,  or  among  rural  consumers,  these 
fine,  large  bulbs  sell  well  in  smaller  quantities,  especially 


7t> 


ONIONS  FOR  PROFIT. 


after  people  become  acquainted  with  their  superior  quality 
and  the  absence  of  excessively  strong  flavor.  In  other 
markets  the  sale  is  slow,  as  buyers  sometimes  seem  to  be 
afraid  of  these  large  bulbs,  and  to  prefer  for  a  sweet  onion 
the  imported  ones,  at  a  much  higher  figure.  In  reality 
there  is  little  or  no  difference  as  regards  flavor  between 
the  Prizetaker  and  the  imported  Spanish,  and  as  Ave  can 
grow  the  former,  by  the  ''  New  Onion  Culture,"  to  as  large 

FU5.  37. 


Onions  Crated  for  Market. 


size  as  the  imported  bulb,  and  at  the  rate  of  1000  to  2000 
bushels  per  acre,  we  should  try  to  make  American  onion 
consumers  learn  the  true  value  of  this  ''Domestic  Span- 
ish" onion,  and  induce  them  to  lay  prejudice  aside  and 
use  the  domestic  bulb  in  place  of  the  imported  article. 

It  has  been  proposed  to  use  the  designation  ''  Domestic 
Spanish"  uniformly  as  a  kind  of  trade-mark,  and  thus  label 


THE   REWARD.  77 

all  crates  containing  Prizetaker  onions.  Whether  this  will 
have  practical  results,  and  insure  the  grower  a  financial  suc- 
cess, the  future  alone  can  tell.  People  are  always  slow  to 
drop  fixed  notions  and  to  change  tastes  once  acquired. 
But  it  is  worth  the  trial.  Certainly  such  fine,  large  onions 
as  well-grown  Prizetakers  are,  ought  to  find  favor  with  the 
consumer,  and  sell  well. 

Crating  Onions. 

The  crate,  as  shown,  makes  a  light,  airy  package,  well 
calculated  to  keep  onions  dry  and  sound.  Its  cost  alone  is 
against  it.  For  the  first  early  crop,  however,  which  can  be 
expected  to  bring  a  good  price,  and  which  will  sell  best  in 
small  packages,  crates  may  be  employed  to  good  advantage. 
They  might  be  made  one-third  larger,  and  ''  warranted  to 
hold  one  bushel." 

Feeling  the  Pulse  of  the  Market. 

In  selling  a  large  crop,  the  methods  of  the  good  business 
man  should  be  adopted.  The  supply,  and  consequently  the 
prices,  in  various  parts  of  the  country  are  by  no  means 
uniform.  Onions  may  be  plentiful  in  New  York,  or  Phila- 
delphia, or  Buffalo,  and  scarce  in  St.  Louis,  or  Chicago,  or 
Columbus.  It  will  pay  the  grower  who  has  carloads  of 
onions  to  dispose  of,  to  be  informed  about  the  condition 
of  the  various  markets  which  he  might  find  available. 
Direct  sales  can  often  be  made  to  houses  in  one  or  the 
other  of  the  larger  cities.  Get  the  addresses  of  one  or 
more  good  commission  merchants  in  all  of  the  larger  cities 
within  reasonable  distance  from  you,  and  thus  be  in  the 
situation  to  feel  the  pulse  of  the  market. 

Winter  Storage. 
Prices  usually  rule  highest,  and  often  reach  almost  fancy 
figures,  in  spring.  Year  after  year  1  have  known  white  onions 


78  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

to  sell  for  from  $6  to  $\o  a  barrel  in  the  New  York  markets 
in  March  and  April.  Whoever  has  proper  facilities  for 
wintering  onions,  and  thoroughly  understands  how  to  carry 
them  safely  through  until  spring,  can  do  so  with  a  fair  pros- 
pect of  largely  increased  returns  from  his  crop.  Of  course, 
there  is  in  this  an  element  of  speculation,  and  consequently 
some  risk  for  even  the  expert,  and  danger  for  the  novice. 

The  task,  however,  does  not  offer  great  difficulties.  The 
first  thing  to  do  is  to  sort  the  onions  over  carefully,  and  to 
select  for  winter  storage  none  but  sound,  well-ripened  bulbs. 
They  should  be  perfectly  ''capped  over,"  and  entirely 
dormant  both  at  root  and  top.  If  there  is  the  least  trace 
of  growth,  a  green  point  at  the  heart,  a  rudiment  of  live 
root — reject  that  onion. 

Next  be  sure  that  every  onion  to  be  wintered  over  is 
dust-dry  on  the  outside.  Such  bulbs  may  be  stored  in 
layers,  or,  better,  in  slatted  bushel  boxes,  in  a  cool,  dry 
room,  where  safe  from  freezing,  and  they  are  pretty  sure  to 
keep  well  until  spring. 

A  grower  on  the  Canadian  side  of  the  Niagara  River, 
who  annually  winters  over  thousands  of  bushels,  has 
arranged  part  of  a  large  barn  as  an  onion  storage-room. 
This  is  almost  frost-proof  in  the  coldest  weather.  All  the 
walls  have  a  dead  air  space,  with  building  paper  tacked  on 
in  the  inside  of  each  boarding  that  forms  the  hollow  space. 
There  are  double  windows  at  each  end,  which  are  kept  con- 
stantly open  except  in  the  coldest  weather.  For  storage- 
rooms  above  ground,  in  cold  localities,  however,  the  walls 
may  be  made  like  the  one  shown  in  Fig.  37.  Set  two  by 
four  joists,  of  the  desired  height,  two  feet  apart  upon  the 
foundation  walls.  Line  up  each  side  of  the  joists  with  good 
matched  boards,  and  paper  the  same  with  building  paper. 
This  will  leave  a  dead  air  space  four  inches  wide  in  the 
center  of  the  wall.     On  each  side  of  this  nail  ordinary 


THE   REWARD. 


79 


rough  boards  or  planks,  and  cover  them  with  siding  on  the 
outside,  but  with  matched  boards  on  the  inside,  filling  the 
six-inch  spaces  with  sawdust  slightly  packed.  Walls  thus 
built  are  recommended  by  Mr.  J.  Heagerty,  of  this  State, 
for  a  fruit  storage-room.  For  onion  storage  the  space  may 
be  considerably  narrower  ;  but  a  room  thus  enclosed,  and 
with  doors  and  windows  made  tight,  will  be  as  near  frost- 
proof as  can  be  desired. 

Onions  must  not  be  stored  in  these  rooms  in  bulk,  but  in 
layers  on  shelves,  or  in  slatted  bushel-boxes  or  crates,  filled 


Fig.  38. 

BUILDI 

NG  PAPER 

r: 

t 

- 

\ 

iJ 

Section  of  wall  of  Storage-koom. 


only  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  top,  so  that  there  \vill  be 
a  free  circulation  of  air  all  around,  under,  and  above  each 
box,  when  they  are  set  one  above  the  other. 


Wintering  in  Pits. 
Onions  can  also  be  wintered  in  pits,  in  same  way  as  pota- 
toes, roots,  or  apples  are  pitted  for  winter  keeping.  Be  sure 


80 


ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 


that  the  spot  selected  for  the  pit  is  well  drained.  If  water 
is  allowed  to  get  inside,  either  from  the  top  or  bottom,  it 
will  surely  spoil  the  onions.  Have  them  dry,  and  place 
them  upon  a  dry  foundation  in  a  long,  conical  heap.  Cover 
with  clean  straw  ;  then  with  a  layer  of  earth  and  a  roofing 

Fig.  39. 


Onions  in  Pit. 


of  boards.  A  wisp  of  straw  reaching  from  the  onions 
through  the  top  outside  will  provide  the  needed  ventilation. 
Fig.  39  will  give  an  idea  of  the  whole  arrangement.     Let 


Fig. 


Onions  in  Pit. 


the  onions  freeze  ;  it  is  an  advantage  rather  than  an  injury. 
Consequently,  there  is  no  need  of  covering  them  with  as 
deep  layers  of  straw  and  earth,  as  would  be  necessary  in  pit- 
ting potatoes,  or  even  mangels  and  carrots. 


THE   REWARD.  81 

Perhaps  it  would  do  as  well,  if  not  better,  to  reverse  the 
order  of  things  somewhat  and  arrange  the  covering  as 
shown  in  Fig.  40,  namely,  first  a  layer  of  straw,  then  a 
board  resting  on  rafters,  and  finally  a  coat  of  earth  well 
patted  down. 

Another  very  simple  and  convenient  way  is  to  put  them 
in  a  dry  place,  say  a  barn  or  shed  floor,  upon  a  layer  of 
straw  or  hay,  and  let  them  freeze.  Then  cover  with  a  two- 
feet  layer  of  the  same  material,  or  with  mats  and  blankets, 
and  leave  them  untouched  until  they  have  thawed  out  again 
in  spring.  The  onions  must  not  be  put  nearer  than  about 
two  feet  from  the  wall,  and  the  space  between  them  and  the 
latter  should  be  filled  with  litter.  The  freezing  method  is 
pretty  safe  in  uniformly  cold  winters,  but  a  little  risky  in 
warm,  open  winters  with  frequent  violent  changes  of  tem- 
perature. Never  handle  bulbs  when  frozen,  and  always 
allow  them  to  thaw  out  gradually. 

The  Profits. 

Now  for  an  estimate  of  cost  of  the  crop  and  the  profits 
that  are  in  it.  In  the  very  nature  of  things  you  will  ex- 
pect this  estimate  to  be  a  somewhat  rough  one.  The  con- 
ditions, in  regard  to  cost  of  labor,  of  manure,  of  land,  as 
well  as  the  demand  for  the  crop  and  the  prices  that  can  be 
obtained  for  it,  vary  so  greatly  in  different  localities  and 
seasons  that  I  can  give  no  figures  which  would  be  a  safe 
guide  everywhere. 

The  following  I  submit  as  a  rather  conservative  estimate. 
I  do  not  desire  to  paint  the  business  of  growing  '•'  onions 
for  profit"  in  unduly  rosy  colors.  The  yield  (600  bushels) 
is  no  more  than  a  good  grower  should  produce  under  fairly 
favorable  conditions  :  — 


82  ONIONS  FOR  PROFIT, 

I.— ESTIMATE  OF  COST,  AND  RETURNS  FROM  THE  OLD 
METHOD. 

EXPENSES  OF  CROP  PER  ACRE. 

Rent  of  land,     ...  $     6  oo 

Manure,  3  carloads,  at  ^16,      48  00 

Fertilizers, 20  00 

Hauling,  applying  manure, 12  00 

Plowing  and  harrowing, 3  00 

Seed,  6  lt)s.  at  ^2.25, 13  50 

Sowing,   ....             I  GO 

Cultivation  and  weeding,  first  time, 15  00 

"              "         "     second     "         10  00 

"              "         "     third        "         5  00 

Pulling  crop, 3  00 

Gathering,  hauling,  barreling, 35  00 

Barrels,  or  packages, 20  00 

Total, ^191   50 


RECEIPTS. 

By  600  bushels  of  onions,  at  60  cents, $  360  00 

Deducting  expenses, 191  5° 

Net  profit, ^168  50 

If  reality  corresponds  with  this  estimate,  the  grower  is 
doing  pretty  well.  Even  if  the  price  obtained  for  the  crop 
should  be  only  fifty  cents  a  bushel,  the  net  profits,  with 
$300  realized  from  the  crop,  would  still  be  about  $110  after 
all  outlays  and  all  labor  at  fair  rates  are  paid  for. 

The  avqrage  crop,  it  is  true,  is  far  below  600  bushels; 
but  we  are  not  aiming  for  average  crops.  Our  liberality  in 
applying  manures,  our  thoroughness  in  selecting  and  pre- 
paring just  the  right  soil  conditions,  our  good  manage- 
ment generally,  should  count  for  something.  The  average 
crop  can  and  should  by  these  means  be  doubled  or  trebledt 
A  yield  of  600  bushels  of  sound  onions  to  the  acre  is  the 
very  least  that  the  wide-awake  grower  can  expect  under 


THE   REWARD,  83 

such  selected  favorable  conditions.  Indeed,  the  chances 
are  that  the  yield  will  go  above  the  figure  'named,  800 
bushels  being  within  easy  reach,  and  1000  bushels  by  no 
means  beyond  possibility.  Every  one  can  easily  make  his 
own  calculations  as  to  the  profits  resulting  from  such  a  crop. 

II. -ESTIMATE  OF  COST  AND  PROFITS  FROM  THE  NEW 
»  METHOD. 

EXPENSES  OF  CROP  PER  ACRE. 

Rent  of  land, %  6  00 

Manure,  3  carloads,  at  $16,      48  00 

Fertilizers, 25  00 

Hauling  and  applying  manure, 12  00 

Plowing  and  harrowing, 3  00 

Marking, I  00 

Raising  1 80,000  plants, 30  00 

Seed, 7  00 

Transplanting, 45  00 

Cultivation  and  weeding, 20  00 

Pulling  crop, 3  00 

Gathering,  hauling,  packing, 35  00 

Barrels  and  crates, , 60  00 

Total,      ^295  00 


RECEIPTS. 

By  1000  bvishels,  at  ^i.oo,  less  freight,  commission,  etc.,  .  ^800  00 
Deducting  the  expenses  with 295  00 

Net  profits,      ^505  00 


This  is  in  favorable  contrast  with  the  results  obtained  by 
the  old  method.  The  total  expenses  per  acre  are  greater — 
in  fact,  they  must  increase  with  the  increase  in  yield.  But 
for  reasons  already  stated,  we  usually  can  sell  the  crop  at  a 
higher  price  per  bushel  than  we  could  get  for  onions  raised 
in  the  old  fashion.  This  makes  a  vast  difference  in  the  net 
profits. 

I  can  see  nothing  to  prevent  the  grower,  who  has  used 


84  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

good  judgment  in  the  selection  of  favorable  conditions  for 
his  undertaking,  to  raise  looo  bushels  per  acre  on  this  new 
plan.  It  takes  180,000  plants  per  acre.  The  average 
weight  per  bulb  should  be  not  less  than  four  ounces,  if  you 
grow  some  good  strain  of  the  Yellow  Dutch,  and  exceed 
eight  ounces  if  you  grow  the  Prizetaker. 

I  have  had  many  specimens  of  the  latter  variety  which 
tipped  the  scales  at  twenty- four  ounces>,  and  whole  rows 
with  every  bulb  weighing  no  less  than  one  pound.  The 
180,000  Prizetaker  onions  on  one  acre,  each  weighing  only 
one-half  of  a  pound,  would  give  90,000  pounds,  or  from 
1400  to  1500  bushels.  These,  if  sold  at  even  a  moderate 
price,  leave  a  big  margin  of  profit  for  the  grower. 

All  these  calculations  and  estimates  are  based  upon  my 
own  surroundings  and  local  conditions.  Each  grower  must 
modify  them  according  to  his  particular  surroundings  and 
conditions  and  ruling  prices.  Good  management  and 
good  judgment,  especially  in  respect  to  selection  of  most 
favorable  conditions,  cannot  fail  to  lead  to  a  satisfactory 
outcome. 


XI. 


SIDE  ISSUES. 

GROWING  PICKLING  ONIONS,  ONION  SETS,  BUNCHING 
ONIONS,  ETC. 

THE  BARLETTA. — GROWING  THE  CROP. — ONION  SET  HARVESTERS. — 
ONION  SET  CLEANER.  -PROFITS  IN  PICKLING  ONIONS. — GROWING 
SETS. — WINTERING  SETS. — GROWING  BUNCHING  ONIONS. — GREEN 
ONIONS  FROM  BARLETTA   SEEDLINGS. — EGYPTIAN  WINTER  ONIONS. 

Since  the  introduction  of  the  Barletta  (iVdriatic  Bar- 
letta)  onion,  a  few  years  ago,  I  have  taken  quite  a  fancy  to 
growing  pickling  onions. 

Does  it  pay? 

It  pays — and  pays  well.  It  gives  us  a  chance  to  utilize 
the  labor  of  quite  young  boys  with  good  profit.  It  allows 
of  double  cropping,  which  is  not  practical  to  any  great 
extent  in  growing  ordinary  onions  by  the  old  method.  It 
gives  us  a  product  that  meets  with  ready  sale,  and  brings 
in  ready  money  long  before  we  can  get  cash  returns  from 
the  regular  onion  crop. 

The  New  Queen,  yet  quite  generally  grown  as  a  pickling 
onion,  has  always  given  foirly  satisfactory  results.  It  is  a 
nice,  small,  white  variety,  somewhat  flat  in  shape,  and 
early  enough  to  catch  the  demand  for  pickling  onions. 
Many  specimens,  however,  unless  much  crowded,  are  apt 
to  grow  larger  than  desirable. 

The  Barletta  is  just  the  thing  in  size.  It  is  handsome, 
round,  of  pearly  whiteness,  and  altogether  the  pickling 
o\\\QX\ par  excellence.  Its  advent  has  made  the  production 
of  these  onions  a  pleasure.  If  well-grown,  well-cured,  and 
well-sorted,  they  cannot  help  tempting   even  an  unwilling 

85 


86 


ONIONS  FOR    PROFIT. 


buyer,   but  especially  the  housewife  in   need   of  pickling 
material.     The  Barletta  sells  on  sight. 

While  these  pickling  onions  will  grow  on  any  kind  of  soil 
suitable  for  other  onions,  I  would  not  plant  them  on  those 
of  a  clayey  character  under  any  circumstances.  Why? 
Labor,  in  the  production  of  this  crop,  is  a  most  important 
factor.  One  of  our  first  aims  must  be  to  make  use  of  every 
means  within  our  reach  that  may  serve  to  avoid  all   pre- 

FlG.   41. 


The  Ijarletia  Onion. 


ventable  waste  in  this  large  item  of  expense.  Up  to  the 
time  of  harvesting,  all  seems  easy  and  plain  sailing.  Then 
comes  the  real  work,  that  of  gathering  and  cleaning  the 
crop.  If  the  soil  is  sandy,  or  otherwise  loose  and  crumbly, 
our  youngsters  will  find  the  task  now  before  them  light  and 
pleasant,  but  long  and  wearisome  if  the  small  bulbs  have 
to  be  dug  out  of  stiff  clay,  and  separated  from  large  and 
small  lumps  of  earth  by  hand. 

In  the  first  place,  and  as  a  prime  condition  of  financial 
success,  we  must  understand  that  the  only  choice  of  soil 


SIDE   ISSUES.  87 

left  to  us  is  between  sandy  loam,  sandy  muck,  and  sand,  all 
of  which  must  be  free  from  rubbish,  gravel,  large  stones, 
and  lumps.  In  other  words,  any  soil  that  when  fairly  dry 
and  unfrozen  will  at  any  season  readily  pass  through  an 
ordinary  coal-ash  sifter  without  leaving  a  residue,  is  suit- 
able for  growing  pickling  onions. 

The  soil  should  be  well  enriched  in  somewhat  the  same 
fashion  as  minutely  described  for  growing  ordinary  onions, 
although  there  is  no  need  of  being  quite  so  liberal  in 
manure  applications.  If  the  land  is  already  quite  rich 
and  well  filled  with  organic  matter,  we  might  safely  dis- 
pense with  organic  manures,  and  put  our  reliance  solely  on 
applications  of  commercial  fertilizers,  ashes,  dried  blood, 
etc.  Land  that  is  not  rich  nor  well  supplied  with  organic 
matter  (humus)  should  have  a  good  coat  of  compost. 
Absence  of  weed  seeds,  both  in  the  soil  and  compost,  is 
also  an  important  point. 

In  regard  to  the  preparation  of  the  soil  I  have  nothing 
to  add  to  the  instructions  already  given  in  chapter  IV.  For 
sowing  the  seed,  at  the  rate  of  about  thirty  pounds  per  acre, 
use  the  seed  drill.  Crowd  the  rows  pretty  closely  together. 
There  is  no  need  of  having  them  wider  than  ten  inches 
apart.  But  for  the  greater  ease  of  cultivation  secured  by  a 
greater  distance,  I  would  put  only  six  inches  between  the 
rows.  An  ounce  of  fresh  seed  is  enough  to  plant  one  hun- 
dred feet  of  row  or  ^  little  over.  I  usually  set  the  drill  to 
sow  about  one-half  this  quantity,  and  then  go  twice  in 
each  row.  I  do  this  for  the  purpose  of  spreading  the  seeds 
in  a  wide  row,  rather  than  crowding  them  together  in  a 
single  narrow  line  ;  yet  I  confess  that  I  am  not  sure  whether 
this  is  of  any  material  benefit  or  not.  Although  the  Bar- 
letta  crop  is  made  in  three  months'  time  or  less,  it  is  always 
advisable  to  put  the  seed  into  the  ground  at  the  North  as 
soon  in  spring  as  soil  and  weather  will  permit. 


88  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

With  the  advantage  which  we  secure  to  the  onion  plants 
over  weed  growth  by  early  sowing,  and  by  a  crowding 
which  leaves  little  room  for  weeds  to  start  later,  the  task  of 
hand  weeding  will  not  be  formidable.  The  wheel  hoe  should 
be  brought  early  and  promptly  into  use,  and  the  weeds  in  the 
rows  pulled  up  by  hand  whenever  and  as  often  as  required 
until  the  crop  is  well  on  its  way  toward  maturity. 

When  the  majority  of  the  tops  have  died  down,  which 
here  is  usually  at  the  beginning  of  July,  the  time  for  har- 
vesting the  crop  has  come.  If  the  area  is  small,  pulling  by 
hand  may  answer,  and  very  small  boys  even  can  be  em- 
ployed to  do  this  work  satisfactorily.  A  better  and  quicker 
way,  however,  is  to  run  a  common,  good-sized  garden 
trowel  under  the  onions,  lengthwise  of  the  row,  lifting  up 
trowelful  after  trowelful,  and  throwing  them  into  a  sieve 
with  meshes  just  small  enough  to  hold  the  smallest  of  the 
bulbs.  An  ordinary  ccal-ash  sifter  is  good  enough.  Sift 
out  the  sand  and  dirt,  then  empty  the  cleaned  onions  into 
baskets  or  boxes,  and  strew  thinly  on  a  dry  floor  to  cure. 

If  the  grower  prefers  to  cure  the  crop  outdoors,  which, 
at  that  season  of  hot  and  dry  weather,  is  a  perfectly  safe 
proceeding,  the  bulbs  should  be  dug  up  in  the  simplest  and 
most  convenient  manner,  and  left  right  on  the  ground  until 
the  tops  and  roots  have  completely  dried  away.  We  ordi- 
narily have  used  our  narrow-bladed,  home-made  onion  hoes 
for  digging  out  the  bulbs.  The  blade  should  be  inserted 
and  drawn  along  in  the  row  just  under  the  bulbs.  The 
Planet  Jr.  wheel  hoe  is  provided  with  an  attachment — the 
onion-set  harvester,  here  illustrated  (Fig.  42) — which  does 
the  work  with  neatness  and  dispatch.  Any  grower  of  ordi- 
nary intelligence  and  mechanical  skill,  however,  can  easily 
construct  a  serviceable  tool  for  harvesting  pickling  onions 
and  onion  sets  from  a  set  of  old  cultivator  wheels,  a  few 
pieces  of  board,  and  a  piece  of  an  old  saw-blade.   The  illus- 


SIDE   ISSUES. 


89 


tration,  Fig.  43,  will  give  some  idea  of  the  appearance  of 
the  tool. 


Fig.  42. 


Onion-Set  Harvester,  Planet  Jr. 


Fig.  43- 


HoMK-MAUE  Device  for  Harvesting  Onion  Sets  and  Pickling  Onions. 


Leave  the  bulbs  on  the  ground  until  they  are  perfectly 
cured,  and  let  them  be  gathered  up  when  not  a  particle  of 


90 


ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 


moisture  is  on  them.  They  may  then  be  stored — not  in 
boxes,  baskets,  crates,  or  barrels,  but  spread  out  thinly  on 
a  dry  floor  or  on  airy  shelves,  then  cleaned  and  prepared 
for  market  at  leisure. 

Children  can  do  the  job  of  cleaning  the  bulbs  quite  well. 
By  rolling  and  rubbing  the  dry  bulbs  about  in  sieves,  or  in 
a  drum  made  for  the  purpose  (such  as  illustrated  in  Fig. 
44),  they  are  easily  separated  from  tops  and  roots.    Finally, 


Sieve  Drum  for  Cleaning  Onion  Sets  and  Pickling  Onions. 

run  them  once  or  twice  through  a  fanning-mill  to  free  them 
from  dried  skins,  tops,  and  other  light  rubbish. 

When  preparing  them  for  market,  the  largest  bulbs  should 
be  sorted  out,  and  each  grade  put  up  by  itself.  Uniformity 
in  size  adds  greatly  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  lot  and  per- 
haps to  its  money  value.  The  demand  in  our  markets 
usually  begins  with  September  and  lasts  into  October. 
Gardeners  who  sell  vegetables  to  consumers  on  a  regular 
route  from  the  wagon  will  find  that  Barletta  onions  "  take 
well"  in  early  autumn,  and  readily  sell  at  from  10  to  15 
cents  per  quart. 


SIDE   ISSUES.  91 

A  small  town,  of  course,  is  soon  overstocked.  I  usually 
ship  my  crop  to  Buffalo.  I  put  them  into  ten-quart  (peach) 
baskets,  lining  the  latter  inside  with  paper,  to  prevent 
small  onions  from  working  out  through  the  cracks.  A  cover 
of  cheese  cloth  or  stiff  paper  is  fastened  over  the  top.  My 
commission  merchants  manage  to  get  75  cents  to  ^i.oo  per 
basket,  so  that  the  average  returns  usually  amount  to  about 
80  cents  per  basket. 

What  is  the  yield  ? 

I  have  no  difficulty  to  raise  at  the  rate  of  600  to  800 
baskets  per  acre,  and  the  possibilities  are  probably  far  above 
this  amount.  On  the  basis  of  a  600-basket  yield,  we  have 
the  following 

ESTIMATE  OF  COST  AND  RETURNS. 

EXPENSES  OF  CROP  PER  ACRE. 

Rent  of  land, $     600 

Manure  and  fertilizers,       40  00 

Hauling  and  applying  manures, lo  00 

Plowing  and  harrowing, 3  00 

Seed,  30  it)s.,  at  ^2.25, 67  50 

Sowing, I   50 

Cultivating  and  weeding, 25  00 

Harvesting 3  00 

Gathering  and  cleaning, 48  50 

Baskets,  600,  at  3  cents, 18  00 

Total ^222  50 

RECEIPTS, 

By  600  baskets,  at  80  cents, M80  00 

Deducting  expenses 222  50 

Net  profit, $257  50 

Tempting  as  this  outcome  may  appear,  I  cannot  advise 
any  one  to  attempt  growing  pickling  onions  thus  largely 
until  after  repeated  trials  on  a  gradually  increased  scale. 


92  ONIONS  FOR    PROFIT. 

Thorough  work  in  the  matter  of  curing  pickling  onions, 
and  onion  sets  as  well,  cannot  be  urged  too  strongly.  If 
the  weather  is  not  favorable  for  our  purpose,  a  kiln  or  dry- 
house,  if  available,  may  be  utilized  to  best  advantage. 
High  heat  is  not  required,  nor  wanted. 

Growing  Onion  Sets. 

Onion  sets  are  also  a  profitable  crop,  but  their  successful 
management  requires  rather  more  skill  and  experience  than 
that  of  pickling  onions.  Perhaps  it  is  not  more  difficult 
to  produce  the  one  than  the  other ;  but  the  pickling  onions 
are  disposed  of  in  the  fall,  while  the  sets  have  to  be  win- 
tered over.  The  land  should  be  of  the  same  general  char- 
acter as  needed  for  pickling  onions,  but  not  more  than  of 
medium  fertility.  Yellow  and  White  sets  are  in  best 
demand.  Select  Yellow  Dutch  and  Silverskin  or  Pearl 
(Extra  Early  Pearl,  American  Pearl),  respectively,  and,  if 
you  want  red  sets,  Early  Red.  Prepare  the  soil,  and  sow 
seed  as  directed  for  pickling  onions,  using  from  40  to  60 
pounds  of  seed  per  acre.  Use  the  wheel  hoe  promptly, 
and  keep  the  patch  scrupulously  clean  of  weeds.  When  the 
tops  are  partially  dry,  shear  them  off,  or  cut  them  off  with 
a  sickle ;  then  harvest  them  in  the  same  manner  as  you 
would  pickling  onions.  All  bulbs  that  will  not  readily  pass 
through  a  sieve  with  ^-inch  meshes  are  too  large  for  sets, 
and  should  be  used  for  pickling,  or  in  other  ways. 

Sets  not  perfectly  capped  over  will  not  keep  well.  They 
should  be  dead  ripe  in  August  or  September.  '•  A  good 
set  is  a  perfectly-formed  onion  in  miniature,  a  round,  plump, 
little  onion  with  the  top  all  withered  up  to  nothing." 
Gather  them  on  a  hot  day  while  perfectly  dry,  and  at  once 
clean  them  by  running  through  a  fanning  mill.  Spread 
them  out  thinly  to  dry,  and  keep  them  dry  until  winter 
sets  in.     Then  store  them,  in  baskets,  or  on  shelves,  in  a 


SIDE   ISSUES.  93 

cool,  dry  room,  or  freeze  tliem  as  advised  for  wintering 
ordinary  onions.  Never  handle  them  while  yet  partially 
frozen,  nor  keep  them  long  in  bulk  after  cold  weather  is 
past. 

Bunching  Onions. 

Bunching  onions  form  one  of  the  most  important  crops 
of  the  market  gardener,  and  about  the  earliest  outdoor 
crop  of  the  season  to  bring  in  money.  In  all  except  the 
extreme  northern  States,  I  believe  sets  could  be  safely 
planted  late  in  the  fall,  rather  than  in  the  spring,  as  now 
generally  practiced.  I  have  thus  planted  sets  of  the  Early 
Pearl,  and  they  wintered  well  without  protection,  and  made 
good  bulbs  for  bunching.  In  our  trying  winters,  however, 
it  may  be  safer  to  cover  the  patch  lightly  with  marsh  hay 
or  other  litter,  or  defer  planting  until  early  spring.  Place 
the  sets  two  inches  apart  and  about  as  deep,  into  rows, 
which  may  be  from  eight  to  twelve  inches  apart.  The  soil 
should  be  a  rich,  mellow  garden  loam.  Begin  pulling  and 
bunching  the  green  onions  when  about  half  grown,  and 
market  them  as  fast  as  they  are  wanted.  At  first,  take 
twelve  plants  for  a  bunch,  reducing  this  number  gradually 
as  the  bulbs  grow  larger,  and  until  five  or  six  constitute  a 
bunch. 

Sometimes  it  pays  well  to  grow  bunching  onions  in  the 
green  or  forcing  house.  Of  course  the  sets  should  be 
planted  quite  close,  say  two  by  four  inches,  in  order  to 
fully  occupy  the  space.  In  February  and  March  they  will 
bring  a  good  price.  For  both  glass  and  outdoor  culture, 
seedling  plants  of  the  Barletta,  started  early  under  glass, 
may  be  used  in  place  of  sets.  Of  course  the  onions  will 
be  small,  but,  as  on  account  of  the  extreme  earliness  of  the 
variety  they  can  be  produced  before  other  bunching  onions 
come  into  market,  they  seem  to  bring  the  money. 


94  ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 

Then  there  is  the  winter  or  Egyptian  Tree  onion.  Per- 
sonally I  do  not  consider  it  worth  much.  It  does  not  pro- 
duce bulbs  in  the  ground,  but  only  thick  stalks  like  the  leek 
or  a  scallion  onion,  and  propagates  itself  both  by  division, 
and  by  top  sets.  The  plant  is  of  ironclad  hardiness,  and 
grows  luxuriantly  whenever  the  ground  is  not  frozen. 
Here  we  can  pull  and  bunch  them  in  April  and  May, 
when  other  green  onions  are  conspicuous  by  their  absence, 
and  for  this  reason  they  often  sell  well,  and  at  a  good  price, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  do  not  possess  the  true 
onion  flavor. 


XII. 

ODDS  AND  ENDS. 

ONION  SEED  RAISING.— WEIGHTS  PER  BUSHEL.— 
HISTORY  AND  VARIETIES. 

To  produce  onion  seed,  first  grow  the  onions,  and  select 
perfect,  well  ripened  bulbs  for  wintering  over  in  a  cool, 
dry,  airy  room.  Select  moderately  rich  soil ;  plow  and 
harrow  it  well  in  early  spring ;  then  open  furrows  six  inches 
deep,  and  not  less  than  three  feet  apart.  In  these  set  the 
onions  four  or  five  inches  apart,  and  cover  with  the  foot, 
plow,  or  a  hoe.  Where  the  winters  are  not  excessively 
severe,  the  planting  may  also  be  done  in  August,  in  the 
same  manner  as  here  described.  The  onions  will  make  a 
strong  growth  before  winter,  and  come  out  all  right  in  the 
spring  without  protection  of  any  kind. 

The  great  hollow  seed  stalks  are  quite  liable  to  be 
broken  over  and  seriously  damaged  by  heavy  winds  when 
the  ripening  seeds  make  them  top-heavy.  If  support  is 
given  to  the  plants  by  little  stakes,  or  by  wires  or  twine 
stretched  on  both  sides  of  each  row,  much  loss  will  be 
prevented. 

The  seed  ripens  quite  unevenly.  Each  pod  must  be  cut 
at  the  proper  stage  of  ripeness,  as  indicated  by  the  yel- 
lowish color  of  the  upper  part  of  the  stalk  and  the  seed 
pods.  Continue  cutting  at  intervals  until  all  pods  are 
gathered.  Spread  them  thinly  in  a  dry  loft,  and  when 
thoroughly  dry  thresh  them  with  the  flail,  and  clean  the 
seed   by   running   it   repeatedly  through   a   fanning-mill. 

95 


96  ONIONS  FOR   PROFn\ 

Then  comes  the  washing.  Place  a  quantity  into  a  tub  or 
barrel  of  water,  stir  thoroughly  for  a  few  minutes,  then 
gently  pour  the  water  off,  together  with  all  the  pods  and 
light  seeds  floating  on  top,  leaving  the  heavy  seed  in  the 
bottom.  This  washing  maybe  repeated  once  or  twice,  and 
the  seed  should  at  once  be  spread  out  thinly  on  sheets  or 
boards  to  dry,  in  the  sim  or  a  dry,  v/arm  room.  Be  sure 
that  it  is  thoroughly  dry  before  being  stored  in  bulk. 

Weight  of  Onions. 
I  am  frequently  asked  about  the  legal  weight  of  a  bushel 
of  onions.  This  is  not  easily  answered,  simply  because 
some  States,  as  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  etc., 
have  not  thought  it  worth  while  to  establish  a  legal  weight 
for  onions,  while  other  States  have  seemed  to  entertain 
somewhat  differing  ideas  as  to  what  Aveight  it  properly 
should  have.  The  following  is  the  weight  recognized  as 
legal  by  the  States  named  :  — 

Pounds.  Pounds. 

Arkansas, 57  Nebraska, 57 

California,      Nevada, 

Colorado, 57  New  Hampshire,       .... 

Connecticut, 50  New  Jersey, 57 

Delaware, New  York, 

Georgia, 57  North  Carolina, 

Illinois, 57  North  Dakota, 

Indiana, 48  Oliio 50 

Idalio, Oregon, 

Iowa, 57  Pennsylvania, 

Kansas, 57  Rhode  Island, 52 

Kentucky, 57  South  Dakota, 

Louisiana, Tennessee, 56 

Maine, 52  Texas, 57 

Maryland, .  56  Vermont, 52 

Massachusetts, 52  Virginia, 57 

Michigan, 54  West  Virginia, 

Minnesota, Wisconsin, 5#" 

Missouri, 57  Washington, 

Montana, Wyoming, 


ODDS  AND   ENDS.  97 

History. 

Little  enough  is  to  be  said  about  the  early  history  of  the 
onion,  although  the  fragrant  bulb  has  been  known  and 
cultivated  as  an  article  of  food  from  olden  times.  Prob- 
ably the  plant  came  originally  from  the  East.  It  is  men- 
tioned in  the  Scriptures  as  one  of  the  things  for  which  the 
Israelites  longed  when  in  the  wilderness.  These  people 
seemed  to  have  become  quite  fond  of  the  "leeks,  onions, 
and  garlics  "  of  Egypt,  and  their  love  for  these  vegetables 
is  almost  proverbial  to  this  day.  Herodotus,  long  before 
the  Christian  era,  tells  of  an  inscription  on  the  great 
pyramid  stating  that  a  certain  sum  (1600  talents)  had  been 
paid  for  the  onions,  radishes,  and  garlic  consumed  by  the 
workmen  during  the  erection  of  that  massive,  awkward, 
but  famous,  stone  heap. 

The  present  production  of  the  onion  in  the  United 
States  has  reached  enormous  proportions,  and  yet  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  bushels  are  annually  imported.  These 
come  mostly  from  Bermuda  (the  old  crop)  during  January, 
from  Cuba  (new  crop)  during  the  same  month ;  from 
France  and  Spain,  during  February  and  March.  It  seems 
to  me  that  California  and  some  of  our  southern  States  can 
grow  just  as  good  onions  as  any  of  the  countries  named, 
and  they  should  try  to  catch  a  little  of  this  trade  in  mild 
foreign  sorts. 

Varieties. 
Botanically  the  onion    is  known  as  Allium  ,cepa.     The 
generic  name  is  of  Celtic   origin  ('' ^//"    meaning  hot,  or 
burning).       The     plant    belongs    to    the    Natural    Order 
LiliacecE. 

Hundreds  of  garden  varieties  have  been  introduced,  but 
we  have  little  positive  knowledge  concerning  their  origin. 
7 


98 


ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 
Fig.  45. 


Yellow  Globe  Danvers. 


Fig.  46. 


-  V7  ^^^x^    -N«v.' 

Red  Wetheusfield 


^Tb;■^ 


ODDS  AND   ENDS.  99 

The  sorts  most  useful  to  the  commerial  grower  have  already 
been  mentioned.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  leading 
varieties:  — 

Weihersfield  {^Wether sfie Id  i?^^).— The  leading  red 
market  variety ;  large,  flat,  coarse,  reliable  and  prolific. 
Skin  deep  purplish  red ;  flesh  white  ;  flavor  strong.  A 
good  keeper. 

Danvers  (^Danvers  Yellow,  Round  Danvers,  Yellow 
Globe  Danvers). — This  is  undoubtedly  the  most  reliable 
market  sort,  very  prolific  ;  sure  to  form  good  bulbs ;  early, 


F,G.  47- 


^   iBsa       • 
W.A.B.8.©. 


Large  Red  Globe. 

good-sized,  round,  smooth.     Neck  very  small,  flesh  solid, 
fine  grained.     A  good  keeper. 

White  Globe  {Southport  White  Globe).— This  is  the  best 
of  the  white  market  varieties.  It  is  of  fine  white  color, 
and  of  perfect  globe  shape.  Large,  prolific,  reliable. 
Cure  it  in  the  shade  if  practicable,  as  this  will  prevent 
discoloration  of  the  skin.     A  good  keeper. 


100 


O.VIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 


Red  Globe  and    Yellow  Globe  {Soiithpori)  resemble  the 
White  Globe  quite  closely  except  in  color. 


Fig 


^    1893        " 
BYW.A.BA©, 


Yellow  Dutch. 


Fig.  49. 


ExTKA  Early  Red. 


Yellow  Dutch  {^Yellow  Strasburg).—i:\{\?>  variety  is  pro- 
lific, producing  solid  and  fine  flavored  bulbs/  Shape 
somewhat  flat.  Largely  grown  for  market,  and  for  sets. 
An  excellent  keeper. 


ODDS  AND   ENDS. 


101 


Extra  Early  Red. — Hardy,  reliable,  growing  quickly  to 
fair  size.  A  favorite  sort  for  mucky  soils,  and  much  grown 
for  red  sets.     It  keeps  well. 

Silver  Skin  {White  Portugal,  Philadelphia  White).— An 
onion  of  medium  size,  handsome  appearance,  and  mild 
flavor.     Largely  grown  for  pickling  and  for  white  sets. 

Spanish  King. — A  very  large,  yellow,  mild  foreign  sort, 
vv'cU  adapted  for  the  new  onion  culture. 

Fig.  ^o. 


Pkizetaker. 


Prizetaker. — The  best  of  the  very  large,  mild  onions, 
and  most  suitable  for  the  new  system  of  onion  growing. 
It  resembles  the  imported  bulbs  sold  in  our  markets  as 
''Spanish  onions." 

Silver  King. — A  very  large,  white,  mild-flavored  variety 
of  the  Italian  type.  Like  all  others  of  that  class,  it  is  not 
a  good  keeper. 

White  Victoria. — A  large,  white,  handsome,  mild- flavored 
variety,  well  suited  for  the  new  onion  culture. 


102  ONIONS  FOR  PROFIT. 

Red  Victo7'ia. — Resembles  the  White  Victoria  in  every 
respect  except  color. 

Bermuda. — There  are  two  kinds  of  Bermuda  onions,  a 
pink  and  a  white  one.  They  make  large,  flat  onions,  but 
are  less  reliable  than  the  Italian  sorts. 

Nc7u  Queen  i^Fearl  of  the  Southern  States). — A  flat 
white  onion  of  small  size  and  quick  growth.  In  the  South 
(according  to  Prof.  Massey)  a  good  crop  of  fall  onions 
can  be  raised  from  seed  of  this  variety  sown  in  August,  and 
it  will  be  found  very  salable  for  pickling  onions. 

Fig.  51. 


New  Mammoth  Pompeii. 

JVew  Mammoth  Pompeii. — A  very  large  onion,  of  red 
color  and  mild  flavor.  Valuable  for  transplanting  in  the 
South. 

Maggiajola. — An  early,  flat,  white  onion,  of  small  size ; 
good  for  pickles. 

B arietta. — The  earliest  of  all ;  very  small ;  useful  for 
bunching,  and  especially  for  pickling. 


ODDS  AND   ENDS. 


103 


Giant  Rocca. — A   large    onion,  of  dark-red   color  and 
round  shape  ;  valuable  for  transplanting  in  the  South. 


Large  White  Italian  Tripoli. 

Large  White  Italian  Tripoli. — A  very  large,  white  onion, 
of  fine  flavor.  One  of  the  best  white  market  onions  for 
the  Southern  States. 

Fig.  53. 

my 


White  Pearl. 


White  Pearl  {Extra  Early  Pearl,  American  Pearl, 
Blooinsdale  Pearl). — A  fine  white,  early  onion;  good  for 
sets,  and  pickling. 


104 


ONIONS  FOR   PROFIT. 


Mammoth  Red  Tripoli. — Resembles  White  Tripoli  in 
every  way,  except  color. 

Potato  Onions  (^Multipliers). — These  produce  neither  seed 
nor  top-sets,  but  increase  by  division  of  the  original  bulb. 
They  are  early,  and  valuable  for  market,  especially  in 
more  southern  localities,  but  do  not  keep  well.  Their 
color  is  brownish-yellow.  According  to  reports,  a  pure 
white  variety  of  superior  merit  has  recently  been  introduced. 


White  Multiplier  Onion  Sets. 


Winter  Onion  {Egyptian,  Perennial  or  Tree  Onion.) — 
Does  not  form  bulbs.  The  stalks  are  used  for  bunching  in 
March,  April  and  May,  and  the  crop  is  often  quite  profit- 
'able.     Increased  by  top  sets. 

Top  Onion. — This,  like  the  preceding,  forms  little  bulbs 
on  the  top  of  the  stem  in  the  place  of  flowers  and  seeds. 
These  bulbs  grow  in  clusters,  and  are  of  about  the  size  of 
hazelnuts.  Break  the  clusters  apart,  and  plant  in  spring, 
in  the  manner  advised  for  sets.     Color  red. 


HOW  TO  BE  RICH  WITH   A  LIT- 
TLE  LAND. 

I  am  going  to  tell  about  Caleb  Jones. 

He  has  the  best-paying  garden  within  a 
day's  journey,  and  Mrs.  Jones  has  the  prettiest 
flowers.  The  farm  is  a  good  one,  well  tilled 
and  kept  up ;  but  so  are  a  good  many  others. 
His  land,  if  you  see  it  after  the  crops  are  off, 
is  about  the  same  as  that  of  other  prosperous 
farmers ;  but  he  always  takes  the  first  prize  at 
the  County  Fair  for  pumpkins  and  cabbages — 
Mrs.  Jones  for  pansies  and  marigolds. 

They  live  within  four  miles  of  the  village, 
where  several  hundred  people  buy  their  every- 
day fruits  and  vegetables.  One  taste  of  Jones' 
sweet  corn  is  enough  to  secure  a  customer — 
beans  and  peas  the  same.  You  see  what  a 
hold  he  has  on  the  market. 

At  home  they  live  like  lords.  ^  American 
farmers  have  good  things  to  eat,  compared 
with  the  rest  of  the  world  ;  but  not  one  in  a 
hundred  lives  like  Caleb  and  Mrs.  Jones  and 
the  little  Joneses. 

When  two  merr  set  out  to  do  the  same  thing, 
and  one  succeeds  while  the  other  fails,  there  is 
apt  to  be  a  reason  for  it.  So,  when  most  of 
our  people  have  plenty  of  wants  and  some 
have  money  to  lend,  there's  a  reason  for  that. 
What  is  it  ? 


HOW   TO   BE   RICH   WITH   A   LITTLE   LAND. 

Caleb  has  two  or  three  acres  of  garden  and 
forty  times  as  much  in  farm  ;  but  his  garden 
grows  larger  every  year,  and  his  farm  grows 
smaller.  He  keeps  more  help  than  anybody 
else  along  that  road  ;  he  has  more  work.  His 
horses  are  round  and  sleek ;  they  seem  to 
enjoy  life.  Caleb  says  the  only  difference  is, 
between  him  and  his  neighbors,  they  are 
farmers  and  he  is  a  gardener.  I  say,  he  grows 
what  he  can  sell  to  advantage,  and  grows  it  so 
that  he  *can.  And  this  is  my  notion  of  How 
to  be  Rich  with  a  Little  Land. 

They  are  all  poor  farmers  ;  but  five  or  six 
acres  of  vegetables  are  worth  a  hundred  of 
wheat.  —  depends  on  the  vegetables.  What 
do  they  depend  on  ? 

Caleb  buys  his  seeds  of  a  seedsman.  He 
would  no  more  plant  poor  seeds  than  raise  a 
colt  from  a^ scrawny  mare.  This  accounts  for 
his  taking  those  prizes.  His  tomatoes,  whether 
a  cherry-size,  plum-size,  pear-size,  or  apple,  are 
solid  and  rich  in  the  pulp,  of  thin,  tough  skin, 
rotund,  and  prolific.  Tomatoes  of  ten  years  ago 
were  tough  and  watery,  awkward  to  peel,  and 
not  nearly  so  clear  and  fair  as  Caleb's.  He 
buys  his  seeds  of  a  seedsman. 

There  are,  however,  two  sorts  of  seeds  and 
seedsmen.     Take  cabbao^e,  for  instance.     You 


HOW   TO    BE   RICH   WITH   A   LITTLE    LAND. 

can't  tell  turnip  from  cabbage.  A  common 
practice  of  seedsmen  is  to  mix  them  ;  and,  to 
prevent  your  finding  it  out,  the  turnips  are 
killed  before  mixing.  Cargoes  of  poor  cabbage 
seed  come  from  Europe  at  30  cents  a  pound; 
it  is  grown  from  stalks — they  sell  the  heads. 
The  best  cabbage  seed  is  grown  on  Long- 
Island  and  in  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  from  selected 
stalks  with  the  heads  on.  The  seedsmen  who 
mix  of  course  have  an  eye  to  cost.  They  put 
in  a  little  good  seed,  to  avoid  a  total  failure, 
which  would  injure  the  business.  The  bulk  of 
the  cabbage  sold  in  this  country  is  mixed.  But 
most  of  the  farmers  and  gardeners  do  not 
suspect  "it.  They  sow  pretty  thick.  If  a  third 
come  up,  it's  enough ;  and,  if  half  of  the  plants 
make  heads,  they  are  satisfied.  While  of  Long 
Island  and  Bucks  County  cabbage  ninety-six 
or  ninety-seven  in  a  hundred  seeds  come  up, 
and  nine  out  of  ten  of  the  plants  make  full, 
round  heads  The  difference  due  to  the  seed 
is  half  or  two-thirds  of  the  crop,  besides  the 
quality.  Take,  for  another  example,  tomato 
seed.  The  canners  save  the  seed  in  the  waste  ; 
it  is  average  seed  and  costs  nothing.  Melon- 
erowers  sell  their  best  melons  and,  late  in  the 
season,  save  seed  from  the  culls — to  sell,  not  to 
plant.     There  are  tons  on  tons  of  seeds  that 


HOW   TO   BE   RICH    WITH    A    LITTLE   LAND. 

are  true  to  name  but  of  common  quality — 
honest  but  poor.  They  came  from  poor  plants 
and  will  grow  poor  plants. 

Do  you  know  what  a  first-rate  seed  is  ?  It 
is  bred  up,  just  as  a  horse  or  cow  or  dog  or 
hen  is.  Vegetables  and  flowers  are  poor  in 
their  natural  state  ;  they  are  fair  in  their  usual 
state  ;  they  are  rich  in  the  proper  seedsman's 
proving  ground.  And  the  richer  they  are  the 
more  unstable  they  are ;  they  tend  back,  as 
water  runs  down  hill. 

A  first-rate  vegetable  or  flower  seed  goes 
back  to  a  lower  grade  as  soon  as  it  ceases  to 
feel  the  seedsman's  care.  This  care  is  not 
cultivation ;    it  is  sorting  out  and  breeding  up. 

Caleb  trusts  no  seedsman's  seeds  in  the  next 
generation.  He  gathers  no  seeds  himself;  he 
buys  of  his  seedsman  every  year;  and  so  does 
Mrs.  Jones. 

You  see,  the  farmer's  and  gardener's  first 
anxiety  is,  not  plows  and  harrows,  but  seeds. 
Any  plow  will  plow ;  any  harrow  will  harrow  ; 
but  first-rate  seeds  he  must  have,  or  fail  in  his 
crops.     Most  gardeners  fail  and  don't  know  it. 

How  did  Caleb  and  Mrs.  Jones  pick  out 
their  seedsman  ?  They  saw  an  advertisement — 
here  it  is  : — 


Library 


HOW   TO   BE   RICH   WITH   A   LITTLE   LAND. 

BURPEE'S  FARM  ANNUAL  FREE. 
W.  Atlee  Burpee  &  Co.,  4t5  N.  Fifth  St.,  Philadelphia, 
to  get  acquainted  with  you,  will  send 
you  for  25  cents  four  packets  of 
named  Sweet  Peas  and  one  packet  of 
Eckford's  "All  the  New  Sweet  Peas" 
mixed,  with  a  book,  "  All  About  Sweet 
Peas,"  how  to  grow  and  trellis  them 
so  as  to  have  flowers  every  day,  with 
illustrations. 

Bush  Lima  Beans :  the  only  true 
large  Lima — probably  you  don't  know 
what  a  good  Lima  is — 10  cents,  to 
make  acquaintance. 

Burpee's  Surehead  Cabbage,  10 
cents  ;  and  Burpee's  Melrose  Melon, 
15  cents. 

Every  seed  we  sell  is  to  make 
acquaintance. 

Caleb  said  to  Mrs.  Jones  :  "  Let's  have  that 
Farm  Annual."  That's  how  they  are  rich  with 
a  little  land ;  and  you  can. 


MANURES: 

How  to  Make  and  How  to  Use  Them 


A  PRACTICAL  TREATISE  ON  THE  CHEMISTRY  OF 
MANURES  AND  MANURE  MAKING. 


This  new  book  on  the  chemistry  of  manures  and  manure  making  is  a 
complete  and  really  important  work,  written  specially  for  the  use  of  farmers, 
horticulturists,  and  market  gardeners,  by  Frank  W.  Sempers,  Director  of 
the  Fordhook  Chemical  Laboratory. 

It  clearly  explains  the 
principles  underlying  soil 
fertilization  and  gives  the 
best  known  scientific  meth- 
ods for  preparing  and  apply- 
ing natural  and  artificial 
manures  on  the  farm.  It 
has  been  demonstrated  by 
several  of  the  State  Agri- 
cultural Experiment  Sta- 
tions and  by  scores  of  pro- 
gressive farmers  that  chemi- 
cal manures  equal  to  the  best 
ready-made  mixtures  can  be 
made  on  the  farm,  without 
the  aid  of  machinery  and  at 
great  saving  in  cost.  The 
diiferent  raw  materials  en- 
tering into  the  composition 
of  fertilizers  are  plainly 
described,  and  the  best  com- 
mercial sources  of  supply 
given.  Considerable  space 
is  devoted  to  tried  •  and 
proved  formulas,  drawn  from 
the  latest  scientific  re- 
searches in  America,  Eng- 
land,  France,  and  Germany. 
Simple  explanations  are  also  given  of  some  terms  in  chemical  technology 
used  in  the  State  Agricultural  Reports  and  in  the  general  agricultural  and 
horticultural  literature  of  the  day.  The  arrangement  and  classification 
are  in  accordance  with  the  best  scientific  usage,  and  every  formula  is  the 
result  of  actual  field  experiment.  The  preparation  of  this  book  has  in- 
volved a  large  amount  of  careful  work. 

Price,  Postpaid,  50  Cents, 

or  can  be  selected  FREE  as  a  premium  on  or- 
ders amounting  to   FIVE  DOLLARS  or  more. 


W.ATLEE  BURPEE  &C? 

Philadelphia. 


PUBLISHED   BY 

W.  ATLEE  BURPEE  &  CO.,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


Celery  for  Profit. 


All  a<2;ree  that  Celery  offers  greater  chances  for  making  money 
than  any  other  garden  crop.  The  difficnlties  encountered  by  the 
old  methods  of  growing,  however,  made  success  uncertain,  and  sure 
only  with  comparatively  few  expert  growers.  Modern  methods 
make  all  this  uncertainty  a  thing  of  the  past.  From  the  same 
area   which    would   give    $100.00    in  any   other    vegetable,    you 

may  take  $400.00  or  even 
$500.00  in  Celery,  if  you 
know  how.  This  new 
book,  just  published,  is 
written  by  T.  Greiner, 
author  of  OxiONS  for 
Profit,  and  other  books 
on  gardening.  It  tells 
how  to  dispense  with 
nine-tenths  of  the  labor 
generally  thought  neces- 
sary in  Celery  growing, 
and  how  to  make  the 
business  pay  really  big 
profits.  Under  the  right 
culture  and  conditions 
several  thousand  dollars' 
worth  of  Celery  can  be 
raised  on  a  single  acre. 
The  book  is  thoroughly 
complete  in  every  detail,  and  is  embellished  with  many  helpful 
and  original  illustrations.  Here  is  a  glimpse  of  the  table  of 
contents  : — 

Generalities— An  Introduction— The  Early  Celery— The  New  Celery  Culture— 
The  Irrigation  Problem— The  Fall  and  Winter  Crop— Winter  Storage— Mar- 
keting Problems— Varieties,  etc.,  etc. 

Price,  Postpaid,  30  Cents, 

or  can  be  selected  FREE  as  a  premium  with  any 
order  amounting  to  THREE  DOLLARS  or  more. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

W.  ATLEE  BURPEE  &  CO.,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


Burpee's 
Farm  Annual 

is  cheerfully  given  iree  to  an3'one  wanting  good 
seeds.  But  as  each  copy  in  quarter-million  editions 
costs  nearly  fifteen  cents, —  when  everything  is 
counted ;  you  see  we  must  have  some  rules — and 
we  dislike  rules. 

If  you  want  seeds  and  have  not  a  copy  of  the 
Farm  Annual  send  us  a  postal  card  to-day,  and 
it  will  come  free  by  return  mail. 

If  you  order,  no  matter  how  little,  and  desire 
the  Farm  Annual,  you  have  only  to  ask  for  it  with 
your  order. 

The  Edition  for  1893 

is  better  than  ever  before.  A  handsome  book  of  172  pages ; 
it  tells  all  about  the  best  seeds  that  grow,  including  rare 
novelties  of  real  merit ;  honest  descriptions  and  hundreds 
of  illustrations,  with  beautiful  colored  plates  painted  from 
nature.  Important  new  features  for  1893, — original  and 
interesting. 

Any  seed  buyer  can  have  a  copy  free,  whether  our 
customer  or  not,  no  matter.  We  count  on  a  fair 
hearing. 

If  you  are  not  a  seed  buyer,  but  merely  want  a 
nice  book — and  it  is  a  nice  book, — you  should  enclose 
ten  cents,  which  is  only  part  of  the  cost. 

Put  yourself  in  our  place. 

W.  Atlee  Burpee  &  Co.,  Seed  Growers, 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


-^ 


